What It Feels Like
by riptidedauntlessgryffindor
Summary: When Percy Jackson is placed in a mental hospital, he starts to fall in love with his psychologist's niece, Annabeth Chase, who comes to visit him every day. But what happens when Percy gets out of the hospital? Will he and Annabeth stay together? Or will life try to pull them apart? Percabeth AU. TW inside. Written by SOS. Cover art by me! (Complete)
1. Chapter 1

**This is my new story. It is a multi-chapter story, so feel free to follow. Trigger warning-mild mentions of people being killed, and self-harm. If this bothers you, please don't read.**

 **Enjoy! Review for more!**

 **-SOS**

 **Chapter 1-**

It started the day Percy was late coming home from school.

He was two hours late, and his mom had been driving herself crazy wondering where he was, since Percy had ADHD and could be easily distracted by almost anything.

Percy's stepfather, Gabe, was also angry. He threatened Percy: "If you ever make your mother scared like that again, I'll put a stop to her anxiousness."

At first Percy thought it was a good thing, so he asked "How?"

"I'm going to kill her," Gabe had answered. "And then I'm going to kill you."

Poor Percy was so terrified that he never thought to tell anyone, not even to warn his mom. But one day, Percy was late again, following a pigeon to the other side of the city.

When he got home, his mom was laying there, dead, a gun by her head and blood on the carpet. Percy, after crying for two hours, found a note. It said  
"I warned you. -Gabe"

Percy ran away to the alley behind another apartment building, remembering Gabe's promise. He stayed there, not going to school for a week before his teacher realized he hadn't been there for a while. She then went to his apartment, and found his mom, dead, and the note.

After that, Percy didn't remember what happened. He only remembered bits and pieces. His teacher's apartment. The lockable bathroom door. The blade. The blood on his wrists. The blackness.

All he knew was that where he woke up next was not his house. Or any of the places he had stayed. Instead, he was in a room where the bed had no sharp angles, the windows were screened and locked, and everything was made of plastic.

He looked out the window. It was dark, so he couldn't locate his surroundings. The door was closed, but since the room he was in had only a dim light, he was able to see that a bright light came in from under the door.

Curious, he tiptoed over to the door, realizing he was wearing a blue and white plastic gown over jeans. And that his wrists were wrapped in bandages. Then he turned the doorknob, and found himself in a brightly lit hallway with many other closed doors up and down it. A woman with a clipboard was walking on the other side of the hallway, so Percy walked over to meet her.

"I keep telling you kids to stay in your rooms!" The woman exclaimed, before actually looking at Percy. "Wait, you're the new arrival, aren't you?"

"Um...yeah," Percy answered carefully. "But where exactly am I?"

"Did you just wake up?" The woman asked. Her name tag read 'Flora.'

Percy nodded.

"Okay, go down that hall and turn left. I'll bring you that far, but I need to watch the other kids, too, so Bert will take you from there." Flora pointed down the hall.

She led Percy down the hall, where a very overweight man was sitting in a chair.

"Bert, this is our new arrival. Could you take him to one of the conference rooms so you can explain everything to him? I'm on night duty."

Bert got up slowly, and put his hand on Percy's shoulder for support.

"Let's go, young man."

They walked down another, shorter hallway until they came to a green door. Bert took out a set of keys and unlocked it. He went in, and sat in one of the chairs that were around a table, and gestured to Percy to follow him.

Percy sat down at a chair on the opposite end of the table as Bert. He wanted nothing to do with this place, and he was determined to show it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 2!**

 **-SOS**

Percy stared across the table at Bert, who was silent. Percy wanted to know where he was and what was happening. But Bert wasn't talking.

Percy frowned. He was tired. He wanted to go back to sleep. He just wanted to sleep his life away forever. But he also wanted to know, where he was, why he was, and who he was.

The sound of Bert's voice jolted Percy out of his thoughts.

"So, Percy, you know what happened last night?" Bert asked.

Percy shook his head.

"A lovely lady came here yesterday, with an unconscious boy whose arms were covered in blood. She told me that his mother was killed by his stepfather, and the boy couldn't handle it. Sound familiar to you?"

Percy glared at Bert. "If I was unconscious, how would I know what was happening?"

"Ah, but strange things have happened here. It wouldn't be that strange for that to happen." Bert smiled and nodded wisely.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Where am I, anyway?"

Bert grinned, his yellow teeth annoying Percy. "You're in the hospital, Peter."

"My name is Percy!" Percy almost shouted, then realized that other people might be sleeping.

"Okay, sorry, Patrick, I'll try to get it right." It seemed like Bert was really trying to anger Percy.

"That's it. I'm going back to sleep," Percy said, stomping out of the room.

"Suit yourself," Bert called from inside the room.

Flora was waiting for him outside the door.

"Do you know where you are now?" she asked, smiling kindly at Percy.

"Yeah," Percy said.

Suddenly, they heard screams coming from a room near Percy's.

Percy turned to Flora with wide eyes. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing. How about you go to sleep?" She led him to his room and closed the door on him.

Even with the door closed, Percy could still here noise from the hallway. He listened closely, and could hear two voices speaking to each other. One was Flora. The other he didn't recognize.

"But...but the monster! It was right there! It came out from under my bed!" A boy's voice, sounding scared.

"There's nothing there. Don't worry, Nico. You'll be fine." Flora sounded like she was trying to reassure the boy, whose name must have been Nico.

"No! It's right there. Don't you see it?" Nico pleaded.

"Sweetheart, just go back to sleep. You can talk to Dr. Chase in the morning." Flora sounded a little exasperated.

"If I had a roommate, this wouldn't happen," Nico cried.

"Honey, the reason you don't have a roommate is because of this," Flora told the poor boy.

"Fine!" he shouted, then there was the sound of a door slamming.

With those lovely sounds in his head, Percy went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note-**

 **I have started beta-reading, and I did two people's stories last night. Go check them out. The links are on my profile.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-SOS**

The sound of sobbing and bright light coming in through the window woke Percy up.

He didn't know what time it was, so he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, but realizing he had no real clothes on, so therefore had no phone.

Percy poked his head out of the doorway. Most of the other doors lining the hallway were open, so Percy stretched his head to to look into them.

Inside one room across the hall from Percy, there was a girl with black hair, sitting on her bed, staring out the window. She was facing the opposite direction as Percy, so he couldn't see her face.

In another room, there was a blonde-haired boy who was in the process of staring at a teddy bear. There were other stuffed animals scattered on the floor, those ripped open and the stuffing coming out.

In a third room, there was a girl with her long chestnut-brown hair braided to one side. She had blue eyes and was writing in a journal.

Percy still hadn't figured out who was the one sobbing. He leaned over and peered into the boy Nico's room.

Nico was laying on his bed, silently glaring at the ceiling. He was muttering something that Percy couldn't make out. But it was clear he wasn't sobbing.

So who was? Percy was about to give up on the mystery when he saw a red-haired girl being dragged down the hallway. She was fighting the two people holding her, who seemed to be security guards. And she was the one who was sobbing.

Percy thought she was very pretty, but he wondered why she was sobbing.

The guards were coming closer, so Percy went back inside his room, peering out through the doorknob hole.

They forced the girl into a room and shut the door. Percy saw someone lock it.

The girl's screams got louder. She pounded on the door. "Let me out!"

Percy noticed some footsteps getting closer, so he jumped back into his bed and lay still. It turned out there was a person coming. The person stopped outside Percy's door, and knocked.

Percy, too lazy to get back out of bed, said in a loud voice "Come in!"

The door opened, and a woman entered. She smiled, all her teeth showing in her lipstick-slathered mouth. She had bouncy blonde curls and bright blue eyes.

"Hello, Percy!" she exclaimed, her perkiness literally bringing the brightness in the room up a notch. "I'm Liz, one of the nurses here at the hospital. You need to come down so we can do bloodwork, since you're a new patient."

Percy slowly rolled out of bed, hating his outfit. The two, nurse and patient, walked down the hallway. They passed the room where the red-haired girl had been locked. Percy tried to peer in, but Liz ushered him along. As they passed the other occupied rooms, the people inside them looked at Percy, analyzing him.

They walked by a wall filled with plaques and framed certificates. Percy tried to read them, but his dyslexia made it hard to see the letters. But he did manage to make out the words "New York Center For The Mentally Challenged Youth" and "Voted best hospital in the tri-state area!"

It was then that Percy realized something. He was in a mental hospital. A freaking mental hospital! He was a "mentally challenged youth" or whatever the paper had said.

His heart sank. He was stuck in a building with a bunch of crazy people.

A bunch of crazy people who he would have to live with for God-knows-how-long, people who he would have to get to know. People who would ask questions.

Percy hated people who got up in other people's business like it was their everyday life. He hated news reporters, paparazzi, and stalkers. He especially hated everyday people who tried to ask him about his family and life.

They arrived at the exam room. Percy flinched when they stabbed the needle into his arm, but didn't cry or scream.

After all, he didn't want people asking questions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Cheerios.**

 **Keep reviewing!**

 **-SOS**

After the blood tests, it was breakfast time. Percy was led to a small room where a table surrounded by 12 chairs stood.

"Sit down," Liz instructed, pointing to the farther side if the table. "That's the boys' side, and this is the girls' side."

Percy took a seat at the end of the table, the farthest away from the girls' side. He hoped people would get the message that he wanted to be left alone.

But you never knew with crazy people.

When the others started filing in, Percy regarded them closely.

There was the black-haired girl. She had piercing blue eyes and had changed out of her pajamas in a black shirt with some band logo on it and gray skinny jeans. She didn't look at Percy as she sat down on the girls' side of the table.

The blonde-haired, stuffed-animal-obsessed boy had light, ice blue eyes. He wore a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hoodie and jeans. He looked a little mad, so when he took a seat next to Percy, Percy leaned away from the other boy.

The girl whose brown hair was braided took a seat next to the girl with black hair. She wore a simple white blouse and skinny jeans. She looked like the only sane one in the place.

Nico trudged in, looking sad, scared, and angry. Percy watched as he took a seat across from the blonde haired boy.

Last of all, the red-haired girl walked in. There were tear stains around her eyes and her face was pink. She had light green eyes, not bright sea green like Percy had. She wore a gold tank top, a Harvard sweatshirt around her waist, and her jeans were covered in brightly colored paint splatters.

A fat lady came out of a door that Percy supposed led to the kitchen. She carried trays and placed them in front of people, then went back for more.

Percy, having learned some manners from his mother before she died, waited for everyone to get their trays before starting to eat. Though, looking at the food, had wasn't sure he wanted to eat it, anyway.

On his tray sat a browning banana, half a cup of apple juice, and a burnt piece of toast. Percy took one look at it and thought "Ugh."

"You've got to eat, honey, or you won't have enough energy for the day," the lady who had brought the trays out said. Her name tag read 'Angie.' "Would you like cereal?" she offered, holding up a personal container of Cheerios.

Percy nodded gratefully, happy there was something he didn't absolutely hate to eat. He gobbled down the Cheerios without milk, because who knows what they did to the milk.

He noticed that no one talked during breakfast. Was it a rule or was it just that nobody was friends?

When people had eaten the most they could, they showed their plate to Angie and then threw it out. Percy followed their example. But when he showed her his plate, she frowned at him.

"Don't you want to eat a little bit more?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

Percy shook his head. "I had cereal."

"Okay," the woman replied, taking Percy's tray and throwing it out.

Percy followed the rest of the people into a large room which had a sign on the door that read 'Multipurpose Room.' There were mini sofa-benches lining the wall, and a few tables under a television. There were bookshelves, but all the books looked like baby books.

He watched everyone else sit down on the benches. It seemed there was a girls' side and a boys' side, because all the girls sat together at one end and the boys together at the other end. Percy took a seat next to Nico.

A man walked in. It wasn't Bert, because he looked younger. But the man still looked powerful.

"Good morning!" he boomed. "Let's start morning group now."

Percy prepared himself for a hopeless life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! This is the fifth day in a row I posted a chapter of this story! I'm on a roll!**

 **Enjoy! Reviews, favorites, and follows are nice (Oh my gods I accidentally typed "Nico" instead of "nice.")**

 **SOS**

The new man introduced himself as Andrew, and then instructed them to tell everyone who they were and one fact about themselves.

"The fact doesn't have to be about why you're here," Andrew reminded. "Unless you're comfortable sharing that."

Everyone looked warily around the room at each other. Despite the fact that he other kids were half-asleep, Percy could still tell they were not going to tell any secrets. So he prepared himself for a list of boring "I have a dog" and "my favorite color is purple."

"Thalia!" Andrew boomed. "Why don't you go first?"

"You already know my name," the black-haired girl said softly.

"But you need to tell us again. Maybe we didn't hear. I certainly didn't hear. Did you guys?" Andrew addressed everyone in the room.

The rest of the kids, including Percy, rolled their eyes.

"Fine," Thalia answered. "My name is Thalia and I'm fourteen. I'm scared of heights."

Andrew led the group in a round of applause.

The brown-haired girl sitting next to Thalia began to speak. She had a soft, lilting voice that reminded Percy of the waves of an ocean.

"Hi, I'm Calypso and I'm thirteen. I am a horrible human being."

No one clapped at that.

The next girl, the one with red hair, spoke next.

"I'm Rachel. I'm fifteen and I hate my life."

Still no clapping.

Percy realized he was next in line. "Hey, I'm Percy and I'm fifteen. One fact about me is that I think I'm an orphan now."

There was hesitant applause.

Nico was next. "My name is Nico, I'm twelve, and there's a monster under my bed."

Andrew clapped, but nobody else did.

The blonde boy was next. "The name's Octavian. I'm fourteen and I like to murder stuffed animals."

Someone clapped once, then stopped when they realized nobody else was.

"Okay, since yesterday was the last day of school, today and the rest of the summer you have no school. We are going to play some games, to keep you busy," Andrew explained.

"We have to stay here until the end of the summer?" Percy asked. The others laughed.

"You have to stay here until the doctors decide you can leave," Andrew said. "So, for some, that might mean the whole summer, others, less than a month."

"If I'm going to be here that long, can I get actual clothes?" Percy questioned. He hated walking around in a hospital gown while everyone else wore clothes.

"If your guardian sends you some," Andrew replied. "Now, no more questions. We're going to go play some board games."

They moved into an activity room. All the teenagers sat on one side of the table. Andrew sat on the other side. The kids spoke in soft voices so Andrew couldn't hear.

"So, Percy, why are you here?" Thalia wondered. The others nodded, anticipating his answer.

"They found me, my wrists covered in scars, the floor covered in blood. That's why I'm here. What about you?" Percy answered.

No one had really expected him to answer such a personal question, so they were shocked when he did.

Thalia looked hesitant to answer, but she did in the end. "I was about to jump off a bridge but I'm scared of heights so I couldn't do it but they brought me here anyway."

Calypso was next. "I took a lot of pills and I didn't die even though the Internet said I would."

Rachel breathed deeply when everyone turned to look at her. "Okay, I guess it's my turn. The reason I'm here is because I have bipolar disorder. And wasn't taking my medications so that's why I'm here. "

Nico stared everyone down before finally agreeing to talk. "Apparently I see things that aren't there, like the monster under my bed. They tell me to do weird things. I almost died."

Only Octavian hadn't spilled. "Okay, okay, I'll go. I murder stuffed animals because of my anger issues. "

Percy was about to say something when the door opened. It was a young lady, with light brown hair and brown eyes.

"Percy Jackson?" she called. Percy stood up. "Come with me!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, I...have no excuses.**

 **I accidentally typed this and then deleted it, and had to type it up again.**

 **That's why it's kind of short.**

 **Notice my new cover? It was done by The Goddess from Atlantis.**

 **I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Reviews are nice!**

 **-SOS**

The woman introduced herself as Dr. Chase. She led Percy down the hallway.

Halfway there, she started to talk.

"I have a girl with me. She's my niece, Annabeth Chase. Her father is Fredrick Chase. I'm sure you've heard of him?"

Percy shook his head.

"No, well, anyway, I have his daughter."

They came to a stop at the door to the room Percy had been in the night before.

They stood outside the door. Dr. Chase gestured for Percy to go in. So he did.

In the corner of the room, there was a girl who must have been Annabeth. She had curly shining blonde hair and sparkling grey eyes, and she was holding a stuffed panda.

"Here, this is for you," Annabeth said, holding out the panda. "Just don't let Octavian get his hands on it. If he does, good luck to you."

"Um, okay?" Percy was a little overwhelmed.

Annabeth laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, sparkling and magical. Percy loved it.

Dr. Chase sat down in a chair and so did Annabeth. Percy followed their lead.

Dr. Chase started to speak. "We are going to ask you a series of questions. Answer them truthfully and as best as you can. Are you ready?"

"No," answered Percy, ignoring the looks he was getting. "What? You said answer it truthfully."

Annabeth laughed softly. Percy still couldn't get over how amazing it was.

"Okay, next question. Why are you here?" Dr. Chase asked.

"You already know that," Percy said, not knowing if it was true, but assuming that it was, because everybody else knew.

They talked for about an hour, then it was time to go.

"Remember, we love you and we're trying to get you out of here. You just need to cooperate." Dr. Chase tried not to sound cheesy, but failed at her task.

Annabeth smiled. "See you tomorrow, I guess. And be careful with that panda!"

Despite his efforts not to smile, a tiny grin escaped Percy's lips.

Then they escorted him back to the room he had been in earlier.

When Dr. Chase had taken Nico with her back to the room, Andrew walked over to Percy.

"Did you enjoy your private session?" Andrew questioned.

Percy resisted the urge to say that as long as he was at the hospital, he would not enjoy anything he did. Instead, he shrugged.

"What did you talk about?" Andrew asked.

"I think the fact that they're private sessions means that they're private," Percy said. "Wait! How come that girl was there, then?"

"Oh, Annabeth? There's reasons that she can't stay home alone, so she has to come here. And since the patients could be potentially dangerous, she has to be under the eye of her aunt at all times." Andrew didn't look sorry at all.

Though, Percy didn't really mind Annabeth eavesdropping.

In fact, he wanted to get to know her more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note-**

 **Hi guys! This is a chapter about Nico and Percy bonding AS FRIENDS ONLY. Don't worry, this will still be a Percabeth story.**

 **This chapter was requested by Lightning2003**

 **Enjoy and please review! I love to see reviews!**

 **-SOS**

When Nico came back from Dr. Chase, he looked even worse than before.

"What's the matter?" Percy asked, looking at Nico in a concerned way.

Nico grimaced. "They're putting me on more medications. Apparently, the ones I'm on don't really work for me."

Percy's eyes widened. "They put you on medication here?"

"Yeah, and they force you to take it, otherwise they inject it in your arm if you can't swallow the pills." Nico made it clear that he was against that system.

Percy started to say something, but was interrupted by Flora entering the room.

"Percy, Nico, come with me. Now." She spoke in such a strict way that Percy wondered what he had done wrong.

They followed her down a hallway until they came to a room where there was a counter and some cabinets behind it.

"Medication time!" sang Flora.

Nico groaned, and Percy didn't know what to expect. Were they going to inject him with it or not?

In answer, Flora pulled six bottles out of one of the cabinets and shook one pill from each of them into a little plastic cup. She shoved it towards Nico, along with a plastic cup of water.

Nico stared at the medications for a whole minute before Flora started to frown.

"Nico, sweetie, you need to take your medications. Do you want to be injected again?"

Percy gasped silently. Nico had been injected? That explained why he hated his meds so much.

When Nico had swallowed every last pill and had been offered a sunshine sticker but declined, he waited in the corner of the room.

Percy stepped up. "I take a medication?" he asked.

"Yes, honey," Flora replied, pulling out another plastic cup. "Here you go!"

Percy took a deep breath and put the blue pill in his mouth. He swallowed, feeling nauseous.

"Don't leave yet!" Flora called to Nico, who was already walking out the door. "There's one more thing I'd like to talk to you about."

Nico turned around and looked at Percy.

"We're getting a new arrival, and we don't have enough rooms. I know it might be kind of early, but would it be okay if you two were roommates?" Flora wondered.

Percy looked at Nico and smiled.

Nico looked at Percy and didn't glare, which was an improvement.

"I guess so," Nico agreed, pretending not to care.

"Okay, why don't you come move your stuff into the new room," Flora said, pleased that the boys had agreed.

Percy picked up the only thing he owned-the panda bear-from his room. Then he waited until Nico had brought all his clothes and belongings out, and they walked into the new room.

After they had got settled in, it was lunchtime.

They ate in the same room as breakfast had been served. But suddenly, it started to thunder outside.

Angie, the woman who was watching them, pressed a button on the wall.

Right away, the window shutters closed and every electronic device started beeping.

Flora hurried into the room. "Okay, everyone, there's a thunderstorm going on, and since thunderstorms might be triggering to some people, we're all going to go back to our rooms and wait it out. There will be staff patrolling the hallway if you need something."

Every patient in the room picked up their meal tray and carried it back to their room.

Percy sat at the desk in his room and stared at his plate. On it, there was burnt pasta, soggy vegetables, and melted ice cream. He didn't eat any of it.

Meanwhile, Nico was laying on his bed in a ball, his hands over his ears. His body was shaking and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

Percy knew that he should leave him alone, but something about the poor boy made it hard not to do anything.

"Nico," Percy asked gently. "Are you okay?"

"No," was the tearful response.

"Do you want me to get somebody?"

"No!" Nico sat bolt upright. His eyes were wild, like those of a scared horse.

"Then you have to tell me. What's the matter?" Percy asked.

"I saw my sister!" Nico exclaimed, a fresh wave of tears following the outburst.

"Oh. That's not that bad. At least it wasn't a monster," Percy reasoned.

"But...you don't understand! She's dead, Percy. I saw her getting struck by lightning. Again." Nico had stopped crying and was staring at the wall with a blank look on his face.

"Oh." Percy felt horrible. "Do you want me to ask if they can call your mom or something?"

"She's dead! Both my parents are!" Tears were forming in his eyes.

"Me too," Percy said softly.

"What?" said Nico, turning to Percy.

"Both my parents are dead too," Percy replied, his face growing sad.

Despite his tears, Nico managed a small smile. "We can be orphan buddies. Together."

Percy grinned slowly and nodded.

And after that, Percy and Nico were always great friends.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites.**

 **You guys are awesome!**

 **Enjoy! Reviews are nice.**

 **Sorry about the short chapter. I'll try to make the next one longer...**

 **-SOS**

When the thunderstorm was over, the hospital patients were allowed to come out of their rooms. Some, like Nico, were still trembling. Others, like Percy, were completely fine.

Andrew escorted them all back into the multipurpose room.

"The next activity we are going to do is writing a letter!" cheered Andrew.

Everyone groaned.

"Since you are in a hospital, and there is a such a thing as patient confidentiality, you're not going to sign it with your real name. Instead, we are going to make up code names. And the people you're writing to have code names as well," Andrew explained.

The teens looked more interested now.

"We have assigned you each to a different person. I will give you your assignments right now." Andrew started to hand out pieces of paper.

"Thalia, you get Man of Letters. Octavian, you get Queen R. Rachel, you get Music Man. Calypso, you get Repair Boy. Nico, you get Sunny Boy."

He stopped at Percy.

"And, you, Percy. You get Owls and Olives."

Percy nodded, accepting the piece of paper. He placed it in front of himself and waited.

Andrew, who had finished passing out the papers, started to give directions.

"You're going to tell the person you're writing about the first time you did something. It can be the first time you had pizza, or maybe the first time you saw a concert. Just try and make it moderately sized."

Percy stared at the paper. He thought for a moment, then started to write.

 _Dear Owls and Olives,_ he wrote.

 _The first time I learned how to swim was amazing. I was six, and my mom had finally save up enough for a series of swim lessons every Saturday for three weeks. She didn't expect me to really learn how, but at least I wouldn't drown._

 _At the first lesson, we just splashed around, wearing life jackets. I managed not to get my hair wet, which the coach said was good. The next lesson was a little better. We held on to kick boards and paddled our way across the shallow end._

 _Finally, in the last lesson, I got it. I remember walking out of the changing room. For once, my feet didn't slip on the floor. That time, I knew something was different._

 _I got in to the water. That day, we were just allowed to play in the shallow end, without life jackets. I started to paddle around as if I were wearing a life jacket. But I wasn't. Instead, I was swimming!_

 _My mom was very proud of me that day. We went out to an ice cream shop and shared a blue raspberry slushy. It was really good._

Percy stopped writing. He knew he was done, but he didn't know what to make his code name.

Andrew walked over. "You're done?"

Percy nodded.

"Okay, think of a code name and sign it. Then give it to me." With that, Andrew left.

Percy though about his life. He liked the color blue. He had green eyes. He was an orphan.

 _From, Blue Orphan_ , he signed.

The letter was mailed later that day. And for the first time after coming to this place, Percy felt the teensiest bit satisfied by what he did.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note-**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the awesome _theartnerd333_ for taking the time to review every chapter so far. Thank you so much!**

 **Enjoy, and I like reviews!**

 **-SOS**

Next, they were all taken back into the activity room. Inside, Dr. Chase and Annabeth were waiting patiently for them.

Annabeth smiled at Percy, mouthing "Is your panda okay?"

Percy nodded, laughing in his mind.

They all sat around the table that was in the center of the room. Percy was in between Annabeth and Nico.

"Okay, today we are going to get in groups of two or three to look at some pictures and describe what they are telling you. I am going to trust that you will pair up responsibly," Dr. Chase said.

Annabeth signaled to Percy just as Nico did the same thing. Annabeth looked at Nico.

"You can go with him, if you want to." Annabeth looked reluctant to give up Percy's partnership.

Nico shook his head. "No, you should."

"How about we can all be in one group?" Percy suggested softly.

The other two looked at him, nodding at each other.

Around the room, Rachel had paired up with Octavian, and Thalia was with Calypso.

Dr. Chase was coming around, passing out pictures.

Percy's group got a piece of paper with a blue scribble and a green scribble on it.

"This isn't a picture!" Nico exclaimed. "It's just lines."

"This is modern art," Annabeth proclaimed.

Percy had just been staring at the picture from the beginning.

"What do you think it is?" Annabeth asked him.

"I think it's the ocean with seaweed floating in it." Percy ignored the looks from the other two. "What? I guess I just have seaweed on my brain."

Annabeth laughed. "You're such a Seaweed Brain."

"What did you just call me?" Percy asked.

"Seaweed Brain! Because you have seaweed on your brain." Annabeth grinned innocently.

Percy shook his head. "Stop being such a Wise Girl," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth inquired.

"Wise Girl. Because you think you know so much."

Annabeth turned away, trying to hide her laughter. "I do know so much!"

Percy started to reply, but Nico interrupted him.

"Uh, guys, pay attention."

Percy and Annabeth looked towards the front. Dr. Chase was giving them a pointed look.

"Okay, Percy's group. What does your picture show?"

Percy looked at the other two members of his group, whose expressions showed that he should answer.

"Okay. It is the ocean with pieces of seaweed in it," Percy explained.

"Why do you think that?" Dr. Chase pretended to wonder.

"I really like to swim," Percy replied, and the discussion was over.

As they were packing up, Annabeth whispered to Percy.

"You like to swim?"

Percy nodded quickly. There were no words to express how much he loved to swim.

Annabeth gave him a funny look, but Percy didn't think much of it.

She waved to him while Dr. Chase unlocked the door that led out of the hospital.

As she was leaving, Percy wished he could exit out the door with her.

But he couldn't, because they were leading him back to his room for some room time.

There was a letter from Owls and Olives lying on his pillow.

It read

 _Dear Blue Orphan,_

 _I am sorry to hear that you are an orphan, but happy to hear that you know how to swim. I wish I could meet you, because then you could teach me how to swim. I'm afraid of water, though, so it might be hard._

 _I'm not supposed to tell you any personal information. But I will tell you that I am a girl. Just so you know. I'm also writing this letter in a hurry, before I have to go do something (I'm sorry I can't tell you what it is.)_

 _I wonder if you are a nice person. You seem like it through your letters. I hope you keep being nice. (I'm sorry, I can't think of anything to write.)_

 _Anyway, gotta go,_

 _From,_

 _Owls and Olives_


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note**

 **Hi guys! I'm back!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is dedicated to _giraffesplaycello_ because I felt like it.**

 **Please review.**

 **-SOS**

After dinner, it was nighttime. Percy expected the staff to send the kids straight to sleep, but instead they were led back into the multipurpose room to watch a movie.

"What movie are we going to watch?" Rachel piped up from the corner of the room.

"I think we're watching Inside Out," Andrew replied.

"Okay. I'm going to bed." Rachel stood up and walked to her room.

Percy really wanted to go to sleep, but he didn't want to make it seem like he was copying Rachel. So he waited ten minutes before asking the man at the door, who was now Bert, if he could go to sleep.

"Goodnight, Paul," Bert called as Percy left the room.

"The name's Percy!" Percy muttered.

When he got to his room, he crashed on the bed. He stared into the darkness pair an hour before Nico walked in.

"Are you awake?" Nico whispered, crawling under his covers.

"Yeah, why?" Percy answered.

"I don't know," Nico said.

"Ok," Percy replied, and they were quiet for a while. Then Percy realized Nico had drifted off to sleep.

So Percy tried to also.

Halfway through the night, Percy awoke to the sound of Nico crying silently into his pillow.

He looked at Nico, who was shaking. He thought about calling someone, but didn't want to wake anyone up. Then he thought about helping Nico, but he was too tired and didn't want Nico to be embarrassed.

So, he went back off to sleep.

Later that night, Nico woke up again. He had seen another monster, as he told Rebecca, another staff member who came into the room at the sound of Nico's screams.

Percy pretended to be asleep when Rebecca looked at him. It was better not to embarrass his new friend.

When Nico had settled back down into his covers, Percy started to drift off to sleep.

But a loud cry that echoed through the halls stopped him.

Percy raced to the door, Nico at his heels. They peered through the half-open doorway.

A boy with curly brown hair and deep brown eyes was being led into the hallway by two men who looked very strong. The boy was limping, but he was also screaming.

"Stop! Get me out of here! Somebody help me! Please!" he cried.

Out of the corner of his eye, Percy could see the other patients creep over to their doors to watch.

"Go back inside your rooms! All of you! Now!" one of the men shouted.

No one listened. And since it wasn't really an important matter, the man let them stay to watch.

As they watched, the boy struggled, wincing in pain when his injured leg touched something. The men dragged him into Percy's old room. His screams and cries were muffled when the door closed.

"Try to get some sleep, Grover," one of the men called to the boy. "And that goes for you, too," he said, looking at Percy and the other patients.

"Yes, sir!" everyone replied before going back into their rooms.

Percy fell asleep quite easily. He dreamed of meeting Owls and Olives. In his mind she had wavy hair, but his dream was in black and white, so he couldn't tell what color it was. Also, she was faceless. Percy cursed his brain for not knowing who she was.

In his dream, they were working at a lemonade stand. The girl was pouring lemonade into a cup for Percy. He gladly accepted it, taking a sip, and then clutching his head.

"It's way too cold," he complained. "Now I have a brain freeze."

"Oh no!" said Owls and Olives. "Can I taste?"

"Sure, but from the same cup?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, why not? We're friends," she answered.

Percy shrugged and nodded.

"You know we are," she said in a powerful voice.

And then Percy woke up.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Thank you guys so much for everything! This chapter is dedicated to my friend Anabella.**

 **Enjoy! Reviews are nice!**

 **-SOS**

Nico was already awake, dressed, and sitting up in his bed when Percy opened his eyes.

"Good morning," Percy mumbled sleepily. "How long have you been up?"

"Oh, me? I don't know. We don't have clock in our room," Nico pointed out, and Percy could see that it was true.

Percy frowned. "Why not?"

"Because it had sharp parts inside it, and we're not allowed to have sharp things because they might be a danger to ourselves or others." Nico rolled his eyes.

"I get that, but if the clock was high up on the wall, wouldn't it be safe?" Percy asked, staring at a spot above the door.

"Percy?"

"Yes?"

"We're in a place full of crazy people. Don't you think at least of them could find a way to get the parts of the clock?" Nico questioned.

"I guess so." Percy, defeated, sat down on his bed.

"Do you want to go get changed?" Nico suggested. "I'll go wait outside if you do."

"You can stay," Percy said. He had changed in front of many boys before.

"Nope," said Nico, standing up and walking out the door. "Hospital rules!"

Percy looked in his little cost and saw that someone had brought him clothes. He selected a blue shirt that his mom had bought especially for him when they went to the beach once. He threw it on over jeans and a pair of orange socks that he had no idea where they came from because his wardrobe only included three orange things-two shirts, and a pair of underwear.

When he was done, he opened up the door to let Nico in. Nico was standing all the way at the other end of the hallway waiting in a line. And standing right next to him was the boy called Grover.

Percy shut the light off in his room and went to join the line. He stood on the other side of Grover, who was smiling nervously at something Nico had said.

"Hey. Nico. Hey, um, Grover, right?" Percy greeted them.

"Hi," Grover said. "What is this place anyway?"

Percy and Nico shared a look.

"I'm gonna tell him," Percy whispered.

"Don't you dare!" Nico hissed. "I wanna do it!"

"Okay," Percy said.

"You're in a hospital," Nico jumped in.

"For people with mental illnesses," Percy finished.

Grover didn't seem surprised. "I thought so, I just wasn't sure."

All three boys jumped when Bert called "Breakfast time!"

They filed into the dining room. Breakfast was soggy waffles with packaged syrup and milk to drink. Percy just had a personal box of cereal again.

After breakfast, they walked into the multipurpose room to introduce themselves.

This time, the staff member called Liz was in charge.

"You're going to tell us your name and something you liked when you were younger. Thalia, you're first."

Thalia frowned. "I'm Thalia and I used to like to pretend I was a tree because trees have easy lives."

Rachel was next. "I'm Rachel and I used to love to paint, but only get the paint on my clothing."

Calypso shrugged. "I am Calypso, and I used to like to pretend to garden without plants."

Octavian grinned. "I'm Octavian and I like stuffed animals."

It was Nico's turn. "I'm Nico and I liked to play with my sister."

Grover was next. "I am Grover. I used to pretend I could talk to animals."

Percy was last. "I'm Percy. I used to love the candy my mom brought home from her job. Also, I really have to use the bathroom."

Liz pointed down the hall.

"Just wait one minute," she said.

So Percy did.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note-**

 **Hi guys. The idea for this chapter came from _VioletChase_. Thanks so much!**

 **Enjoy the chapter! Reviews are appreciated.**

 **-SOS**

Liz pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. "Go over there, and ask the man to unlock it for you."

Percy followed her directions. He walked slowly past doors, both open and closed. He came to the bathroom, but there was no one there.

He slowly looked around, but no one was in sight. But a sign on the wall caught his eye.

"Staff Lounge," it said.

Now, normally Percy would have left it all alone, but he really needed to use the bathroom.

So he tiptoed towards the staff lounge.

The door was open. No one was there, but the television was on.

"The story of Perseus Jackson," the news reporter was saying. "Is a sad one. When Perseus was one, his dad left his mother to lead a single life. His mother married a man called Gabe so Perseus could be well supported."

Percy looked down at himself. They were talking about him? In answer, a picture of Percy as a seven-year-old popped up on the screen.

"But, tragedy struck," the news reporter continued. "Last week, Gabe, his stepfather, killed Perseus' mother. Percy ran away. The news of his location is currently private."

Percy rolled his eyes. They just didn't want to say he was in a mental hospital.

"But, we have an extreme plot twist!" The news reporter announced. "Perseus' original birth father, the manager of Neptune Aquarium Accessories, otherwise known as Poseidon Jackson, is looking for his son. He says he will give his son the life he deserves-a good one."

Percy gasped. His father was alive?

"If you know how to contact Perseus Jackson, please do! Poseidon is desperate to finally meet his son." Then the news reporter rattled off a few numbers to call.

Percy turned away. He wanted to meet his dad, but he didn't know if the hospital would let him.

He walked back to the bathroom door. A staff member that Percy didn't know the name of opened the door for him. Percy used that bathroom and washed his hands, still thinking about his father.

He walked back into the multipurpose room, where Liz was handing out paper to everyone. Percy guessed they were writing letters. And he was right.

"Today you are going to write about a birthday celebration you have had in the past. It could be when you were younger, or it could be your last birthday. Go ahead. And try to write something nice."

Percy took a sheet of paper and started to write.

 _Dear Owls and Olives,_

 _Today we're supposed to write about a birthday we had in the past. Mine are all horrible, because my life is horrible. But the staff are insisting we write about something. So I'll write about a dream I had last night._

 _You were there, but since I don't know what you look like, you were faceless and the dream was black and white. In the dream, you said that I knew we were friends. Are we really friends?_

 _Write back soon,_

 _Blue Orphan_

Percy handed in the note to Liz, who put them in a pile.

Then they watched television for three hours.

After they had eaten sandwiches for lunch, they were sent to their rooms, where a note from their pen pal was waiting for them.

Percy eagerly picked his up and began to read.

 _Dear Blue Orphan,_

 _I'm sorry that your life is horrible. I wish I could help you make it better. Maybe we really can be friends?_

 _I hope your life gets better. And I wish I could tell you what I look like, but that's confidential. But I'll tell you what I wish I looked like._

 _I wish I had dark brown, long, wavy hair. I wish I had blue eyes. I wish I was beautiful._

 _But that's how you can imagine me._

 _Feel better,_

 _Owls and Olives_


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note-**

 **Sorry that this chapter is kind of short, but I hope you like it anyway.**

 **Enjoy! And feel free to review!**

 **-SOS**

When Percy had read his letter, he noticed Nico glancing up at him nervously.

"What's the matter?" Percy asked.

"Well, um, I have nothing else to do, so I was wondering whether I could read your letter," Nico said tentatively.

"Um," Percy hesitated. "Only if I get to read yours."

Nico paled, looking like a snowman. "Well, um, there's personal stuff in here."

"We don't have to read each others', if you don't want to. I just thought you were bored," Percy suggested.

"No, I am bored." Nico looked very reluctant to admit that Percy was right. "I guess we can read them."

Percy handed over his letter immediately. Nico was slower. He wouldn't let go.

"Don't judge me," Nico said softly.

Percy began to read.

 _Dear Dark Angel,_

 _It's okay that you have a crush on a boy. Even though it's not normal. I'm like you; I like boys better than girls too._

 _You said you sister was the only one to accept you? Well, I'm the second. Whatever happens, don't change who you are._

 _I hope you get a chance with the boy you like._

 _By the way, my dad works at the hospital you're in, and I asked him that since you have no family, if I could visit you. You just have to sign a form saying that you're okay with me seeing you._

 _Hope to see you soon,_

 _Sunny Boy_

Percy finished reading the letter and handed it back to Nico.

Nico took a deep breath and sighed.

It was really quiet.

Finally, Percy broke the silence. "Did you sign the form?"

Nico turned to Percy with a look that clearly said 'that's seriously the question you're going to ask?'

"What? I just want to know if he's coming to visit you," Percy said.

"If you must know, I did sign it. He's coming in a few days." Nico tried not to smile but failed.

Percy grinned. "Good, I'm happy for you."

They were in the middle of a somewhat awkward silence when there was a knock on the doorframe (the door couldn't be closed when two people were in the room.)

It was Annabeth. "Percy, Dr. Chase needs to talk to you."

Percy waved at Nico on his way out.

As the walked down the hallway, Annabeth spoke. "We have something really serious for you to talk about today. I'll tell you more when we get there."

They sat around the table, Dr. Chase looking very businesslike.

"Percy, you look like you're feeling much better. And since we have a hospital policy of getting patients who aren't at risk anymore out of here within a week, we have to talk about you getting home," she said.

"How will I go home if I don't have any parents?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked at him sympathetically.

"We can put you in an orphanage, or we can get one of your close friends to adopt you," Dr. Chase said.

"Wait!" Percy had a brilliant idea. "What about my dad?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note-**

 **I can't believe we're on chapter 14 already! Yay!**

 **Enjoy! Reviews are fun and whoever reviews first gets a shoutout on the next chapter!**

 **-SOS**

Everything that was happening in the room stopped. Annabeth stopped brushing her hair with her fingers, and Dr. Chase stopped staring out the window.

"You..um...you know about that?" Annabeth stuttered.

Percy nodded.

Dr. Chase smiled. "Well, as long as you're fine with him coming to visit you and seeing if you like him, then we'll set it up."

Percy agreed that it was a good idea.

"Okay, well then, since you only have a few clothes, Annabeth thought it might be a good idea to take you clothes shopping. But only if you're willing to," Dr. Chase said.

"You mean...go outside the hospital?" Percy asked. It was too good to be true.

"No, but the hospital has one computer in a room where you two can be alone and search for clothes. Most of your other clothing you own was collected as evidence," Dr. Chase explained.

"Okay!" said Percy. "Let's do this."

Annabeth led him into another room, where a computer waited for them.

They sat on the two seats next to the computer.

"Do you want shirts first?" Annabeth asked. "Or pants?"

In answer, Percy found Google on the computer and typed in "Pants for teenagers."

Annabeth laughed. "You have to go to a specific store website and then search it up, silly!"

She took the mouse and quickly typed in "Venus Clothing Line."

"It's a site with really nice clothes," she explained. "But it's not expensive at all."

Percy browsed around the site until he found some really nice jeans in a packet of three-grey, black, and plain denim. He clicked on it, and it brought him a sizing chart.

"Annabeth? What size am I?" Percy asked.

"I don't know. Um, you'll have to, um, check," Annabeth said, embarrassed.

Percy looked for his size, but he couldn't see it. So finally, he just settled on taking his pants off.

Annabeth blushed. She covered her eyes, but Percy could see she was peeking.

He found his size and slipped his jeans back on. To break the awkward silence, he said "Did you know that in England, pants are actually underwear, and trousers are pants?"

Annabeth giggled. Her face was still red, but at least she looked happy.

"I did know that, Percy, but thanks for telling me," Annabeth replied.

"Such a Wise Girl," Percy said, shaking his head.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth grinned, showing she didn't mean it.

"Wise Girl."

"Seaweed Brain."

"Can we shop now?" Percy begged.

Annabeth nodded. She picked out three shirts for him, and he looked at them.

"Do you think I'll look good in them?" he wondered nervously.

"I think you look good..." Annabeth said, before realizing what she had said, and blushing.

"Why, thank you," said Percy.

He was about to say more when Dr. Chase stuck her head into the room.

"Okay, guys, it's time to be done!" she said. "We have a visitor!"

Percy was sent back to his room, Annabeth mouthing "I'll get you back later" to him.

Nico was sitting inside their room, a blonde boy sitting next to him.

"Hi Percy," Nico said. "This is Percy," he told the blonde boy. "Percy, this is Will Solace."

"Nice to meet you, Will," Percy said, shaking his hand.

"Nico, do you have something you want to say to Percy?" Will prompted.

"Um, uh, Percy, I have a confession," Nico reluctantly said. "I...I used to like you. As more than a friend. But now I don't. I see now-you're cute, but you're not my type."

And then Nico took Will's hand and they walked out of the room, leaving Percy stunned.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note-**

 **So, this is the shortest chapter of this story.**

 **I hope you still like it...**

 **-SOS**

Percy didn't know what to do or say. Luckily, he don't have to know. A knock on his door and Annabeth's head poking in informed him that he had a visitor.

"Is it my dad?" he asked eagerly, craning his neck to look through every door just to see whether a man was in there.

"It is Poseidon Jackson, here to see you," Annabeth replied, smiling at Percy's excitement.

They stopped at a room where the door was closed, and Percy trembled with happiness and anxiety.

"Can I go in?" he wondered, reaching for the doorknob.

Annabeth nodded. "We'll go in together."

They opened the door slowly and Percy peeked in.

A man was sitting at the head of the table. He had messy black hair, like Percy, and bright green eyes. He was wearing sandals, khaki shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt covered in pineapples and Palm trees.

"You must be Percy," the man said, his face crinkling into a smile. 'I'm Poseidon Jackson. You can call me Dad."

A tear dropped from Percy's eye. Soon after, Poseidon was crying too.

"I'm sorry for leaving," Poseidon apologized. "My brother would have killed you if I hadn't."

"Why?" Percy asked,

"Our family was dared not to have any children because many of us own big industries that our employees want to inherit someday. If we had children, they would inherit it instead," Poseidon answered.

"Dad?" said Percy, trying out the new word on his lips. "Are you going to take me home?"

"We're working on it, son," Poseidon said.

Then he turned to Annabeth.

"Are you his girlfriend?" Poseidon questioned.

"No!" Percy and Annabeth exclaimed.

"Annabeth volunteers here. She is nice and responsible. I guess she would be a good girlfriend, but she's probably already taken," Percy explained.

Poseidon gasped. "I have an idea. Percy, could you give us some alone time please?"

Percy reluctantly waited outside the door. He started to walk away, but heard a few words.

"Annabeth, would you make a good babysitter?"

Percy walked away to his room.

Nico was already there. His face was red, like he had been crying.

"What happened?" Percy asked. "Did Will leave?"

"He's leaving forever! He's moving near a hospital in Massachusetts tomorrow. I'll never see him again!" Nico wailed.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm sure by some twist of fate, you guys will get to see each other again somehow," Percy reassured.

Nico pouted and was silent.

Suddenly, Annabeth knocked on the doorframe.

"Percy, your dad's leaving. Do you want to say goodbye?"

Percy waved to Nico, who frowned.

Then he hugged his dad, saying "I knew you'd come back."

Poseidon hugged him back and grinned.

They were reunited.

And everything was happy.

Except for Nico...


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note-**

 **Hi guys! This chapter is dedicated to Book-shelfdivided for predicting what I was going to do.**

 **Enjoy the chapter! Also, the story keeps going after he gets out of the hospital, so keep reading...**

 **I like reviews!**

 **-SOS**

The next day, Percy was eager to get through it because the next day he would leave! That's right, they had finally decided on a date for him to leave. The only downside of leaving was that he would never get to see Annabeth or any of his other friends again.

It was a small price to pay, but Percy knew he would miss them greatly. Hospital rules were that you couldn't give out your contact information, whether it be phone number or Instagram screen name.

After a somewhat okay breakfast of pancakes, juice, and cereal, they all went into the multipurpose room.

"Today is the last letter sending day. The other kids will reply to you one last time. In this letter, you are going to write about a fun time you had with a friend. Don't use the friends' name, for their own privacy, but instead use a code name. Have fun!" Flora handed out pieces of paper to everyone.

Percy stared at his paper. He didn't really have any friends...well, except for Nico, and all their memories were sort of private. Wait! But what about Annabeth?

Annabeth was a friend, and Owls and Olives would never know her. It was perfect!

 _Dear Owls and Olives,_

 _Yesterday I went shopping with my friend, Wise Girl. She is really nice, funny, smart, and pretty. We shopped on the computer, and then we called each other "Seaweed Brain" and "Wise Girl" because those are our nicknames for each other._

 _I think she likes me. I really hope she does. I'm going to miss her when I leave._

 _From,_

 _Blue Orphan_

When the rest of the group was done writing letters, they started another activity.

"What you're going to do is write down a goal you have for yourself and whether it's possible and how you're going to achieve that goal." Flora handed out another sheet of paper.

 **Goal:**

Percy wrote "To get out of here."

 **Is it possible:**

Percy wrote "Yes."

 **How do you plan to achieve it:**

Percy wrote "Be good until tomorrow."

Their papers were collected, and it was time to go play outside.

Annabeth joined them for this, but she had a cast on her ankle, so she couldn't play. She sat watching Percy and the boys play basketball against the girls. Even without Annabeth, the girls won.

When they went inside to have lunch, Annabeth left. She looked like she was trying to tell him something, but he wouldn't listen. The excuse for him was that he didn't want to get too close to her because then he would have to say goodbye.

After lunch, they had room time. Nico was smiling with tears in his eyes when Percy got to their room.

"What happened?" Percy asked, surprised to see Nico like this

"I'm being transferred! To the hospital that Will's dad works in. Apparently I've been here too long, so they had to move me." Nico grinned even bigger. "I'll miss you, but you're leaving tomorrow, so..."

"Congratulations!" Percy said, then noticed a letter on his pillow. "What's this?"

"Oh, Annabeth dropped it off a few minutes before you came in," Nico replied.

Percy opened the letter, read it and gasped.

 _Dear Percy/ Blue Orphan/ Seaweed Brain,_

 _I'll miss you too._

 _Love,_

 _Annabeth/ Owls and Olives/ Wise Girl_


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's note-**

 **Hi guys! I hope you enjoy the chapter. Don't worry, I'm going to have more Annabeth in later chapters.**

 **And everything will be explained...**

 **Also, it is possible to be turned into a tree after you're cremated. It's actually really cool. It's called BioUrn.**

 **Please vote on the poll on my profile page. It only takes a few seconds...**

 **Thanks,**

 **-SOS**

The letter in Percy's hand fell to the floor. He was surprised, and also felt stupid for not realizing it earlier. Of course, she hadn't been very descriptive in her letters, so he couldn't have figured it out.

"I have to go talk to Annabeth," Percy told Nico as he picked up the paper and prepared to walk out the door.

"Wait!" Nico called. "Annabeth left. She's not coming back. She said something about preparing for a new job..."

"What?" Percy was distraught. "That means I'll never see her again!"

"Yeah," Nico replied. "But you had fun while it lasted."

Percy frowned.

"Fine," he responded.

When Flora came to get them for dinner, Percy was laying down on his bed.

"I'd rather sleep," was his muffled reply from under the covers.

"Okay," Flora said. "But don't blame me when you wake up later wanting food."

She left with Nico.

Percy tried not to cry. He really did. But all the emotions from the past few days were balled up inside him, and he needed to let them loose.

He cried softly, so no one would hear him. And eventually, he cried himself to sleep.

It was dark when he woke up. It was dark, everyone was asleep, but Percy knew something bad was going to happen.

And it did.

Suddenly, a scream echoed down their hallway. It sounded like Calypso.

All the other patients, including Percy, raced down the hallway to where the scream was coming from. Nobody tried to stop them, which was weird.

Calypso was standing outside Rachel's room, pointing at something inside the room. The rest of the teenagers crowded around her, trying to get a better look.

Inside the room, Rachel was lying, limp, on the floor, a pill bottle in her hand and three more on the floor beside her.

Flora and Bert were inside the room also. They were checking her pulse and heart beat and other things. But she wasn't responding.

"Go! Go back to sleep!" Flora called to everyone outside the door. "We'll talk in the morning."

She closed the door on the curious faces. They all went back to their rooms. But no one really thought about going to sleep. Until they woke up in the morning, that is.

After breakfast (without Rachel) they went into the multipurpose room. Andrew looked serious when he walked in, so all the talking stopped as soon as he stepped foot into the room.

"Hello," he said. "I regret to inform you that our patient Rachel Elizabeth Dare took her own life last night. There is going to be a funeral, so you can each write a little note to be cremated with her.

"She's being cremated?" Grover asked. "Are her ashes being turned into a tree after that?"

"I don't know all the details yet," Andrew replied. "But that would be nice. Now, here's some paper. Just write something nice about her on it.

I took the paper.

 _Dear Rachel,_

 _I used to love the way your hair turned orange in the sun._

 _-Percy_

We all gave our notes in. Percy daydreamed for a long time about Annabeth until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

It was Andrew.

"Your dad is here to pick you up. Why don't you go pack in your room?"

Percy piled his clothes into the bag, then Poseidon met him in the hall.

"Let's go," he told Percy.

"I can't wait!" was Percy's excited reply.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's note-**

 **thanks for all the reviews! Sorry about Rachel, but you'll see why I did that later on..**

 **enjoy! Keep reviewing!**

 **-SOS**

Percy waited for his father to sign the forms letting him out of the hospital. While he waited, he heard Dr. Chase talking to a man who must have been Rachel's dad, as he had the same eyes as her.

"Do you know how she got access to the drugs? You better tell me right now!" Rachel's father was saying.

"We don't know for sure, but we think she might have been sneaking them away when we tried to give them to her. She probably stored them in the bottles we threw in the garbage," Dr. Chase explained to the angry man.

"Why didn't you check her room? This all could have been stopped if you just had better workers!" Rachel's father yelled.

"Sir, please calm down. We did check her room. She was just hiding them too well." Dr. Chase looked apologetic.

Rachel's dad stormed out of the room and down the hall.

Flora unlocked the door to let him out.

"None of you are invited to her funeral!" were the man's last words before he left.

Percy was startled when a hand tapped him on the shoulder.

It was his father.

"Come, Percy!" Poseidon called. "Let's get you out of here!"

When they had walked away from the building, Percy looked at the parking lot. There wasn't a car in sight.

"How are we getting home?" asked Percy.

Suddenly, a sleek black limousine pulled up.

"That's our ride!" Poseidon announced.

"Seriously?" Percy shouted. "That's awesome!"

"It most certainly is, son!" Poseidon said proudly, opening the door to the car and helping Percy in.

When they were driving, Poseidon whispered something to the driver.

After five minutes, the limo stopped at an ice cream store.

"Just thought we could catch up over some ice cream," Poseidon suggested.

Percy grinned. "Sounds great!"

After they were settled back in the car, eating blue ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, Poseidon broke the silence.

"So, you're really not mad at me for deserting you?" Poseidon asked. "Because I really am sorry."

"I was at first," Percy replied. "But then I was just happy you were getting me out of there."

Poseidon ruffled Percy's hair.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you," Poseidon said. "You have a half-brother! His name is Tyson, and he's three years old. Do you like young kids?"

"Yeah," I responded, wondering what he was going to say next.

"Good, because after they found your mother, they realized she was pregnant. It's a girl." Poseidon didn't know how Percy would react.

"Really?" Percy asked. "Is Gabe the father?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Poseidon grimaced. "But the baby will be out of the hospital in a few days. So you get to name her!"

The car stopped at a giant mansion before Percy got the chance to respond.

They unlocked the door with Poseidon's fingerprint.

A small boy came running out of a room, giggling. He had dark brown hair and green eyes.

"Tyson!" Poseidon scooped the boy into his arms.

And then, out of the room came Annabeth Chase.


	19. Chapter 19

**Authors' note-**

 **This chapter is dedicated to all the guests who read my story. Thanks for the support!**

 **See you soon with a new update!**

 **-SOS**

"Annabeth?" Percy was in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth grinned. "Guess who got a job as Tyson's new babysitter?"

"Really?" Percy asked. "But I thought you couldn't stay home alone?"

"Oh." Annabeth's face darkened. "That's not because of me. That's because my ex-boyfriend is a crazy psychopath who decided that after I broke up with him he would try to break into my house and kidnap me. That's why I can't be home alone. But I can be here alone because, first of all, he doesn't know where I am, and second of all, you have awesome security."

Percy nodded. Then he turned to his dad.

"I just realized something!" Percy exclaimed. "If Mom was pregnant, how come she wasn't fatter?"

Poseidon sighed. "She was only a few weeks baby bump hadn't shown up yet."

"But then how is the baby alive?" Percy questioned. "Wouldn't it be dead if it was born so early?"

"The baby is in the hospital in an incubator that will help her survive. She was born prematurely, so the doctor says she might have some birth defects, but there's nothing we can do about that," Poseidon answered.

Percy nodded as the reality set in. Then he jumped up and down. "I'm getting a baby sister! I have a little brother! And best of all, Annabeth's here!"

Annabeth blushed, giggling in embarrassment

A man in a black suit walked in.

"Would you like me to show you to your room, Master Percy?" he asked. The man was already carrying Percy's bags. "Of I could just set your luggage down and wait for you."

"No, I'll come now," Percy replied, looking Poseidon in the eye with a look that said 'You got me a room?'

Poseidon nodded. Percy followed the man up the ornate staircase to a hallway. There were bronze doorways lining the hall.

They stopped at the third door on the left. It was closed, but the fancy man gestured to Percy to open it.

Which Percy did, and grinned. Inside his room, the walls were painted blue, the carpet was black, and the bed was a white wooden bunk bed in the corner with a desk on the bottom and a bed on top. There was a television on the wall across from the bed, and on the desk there was an Apple laptop.

"Wow..." was all Percy could say.

Annabeth joined them in the doorway.

"Awesome, right?" she said, smiling. "I picked out the design."

"Thanks," Percy responded. "I really like it."

They looked each other in the eyes for a bit longer than usual. It was awkward when Annabeth looked away.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I should be getting back to work now..."

When she left, Percy sighed.

Then he raced down the stairs to join her and Tyson.

Tyson smiled at Percy.

"Big brother!" he exclaimed. "Come play with us!"

"Okay," Percy said. "What do I have to do?"

"Play!" Tyson shouted. He was adorable.

"We're playing house," Annabeth explained. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and it was messy, but Percy liked it anyway. "I'm the big sister. Who do you want to be?"

"No parents " Percy mused. He was about to choose something when Tyson interrupted him.

"You can be Annie's boyfriend!" Tyson announced.

Annabeth looked at Percy. Percy looked at Annabeth.

And then he nodded.

"Okay!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! I hope you enjoy Chapter 20!**

 **Keep reviewing, favorite-ing, and following! It really motivates me!**

 **-SOS**

They had been playing house for an hour. Percy was mostly watching, because according to Tyson "boyfriends don't come over a lot..."

But Percy was enjoying himself.

At the moment, Tyson was pretending to jump on top of Annabeth. She was lying down, and every time, he would land right next to her.

Percy closed his eyes. It was almost five in the evening, and he was tired. He hadn't gotten a real night's sleep in a while. He assumed that we the reason he began to drift off to sleep.

He awoke to Tyson standing on top of him.

"Tyson! What are you doing?" Annabeth raced over and lifted Tyson up.

"It's time for the date!" Tyson yelled. "Big brother and Annie go on date?"

"I don't know." Annabeth smirked. "He hasn't asked me out yet..."

Percy sighed. This was going to be fun, but really awkward.

"Um, hey Annabeth," he began. "Would you like to go to the movies with me?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Annabeth replied. "Right now it's Tyson's bedtime!"

Percy rolled his eyes. He should have known Annabeth would do something like that. Knowing her, she had probably given Tyson dinner while Percy slept.

When Annabeth came downstairs a few minutes later, she was without Tyson.

"He's asleep," she whispered. "I can't sing to save my life, but my lullaby sent him right to dreamland."

Percy laughed softly. "I'm sure your singing isn't that bad..."

"Believe me, it stinks," Annabeth responded, smiling sheepishly. "You don't even want to know."

"I'm hungry," Percy changed the subject. "What's for dinner?"

"Well, Tyson had mashed potatoes and broccoli, but there's a pizza place down the road from here if you really want that," Annabeth informed Percy.

"Pizza!" Percy exclaimed. "Let's do that. Can we get it blue?"

"What's with you and the color blue?" Annabeth asked, grabbing the phone and dialing the pizza place's number.

"It reminds me of my mom," Percy said quietly.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Annabeth apologized. "If you don't mind me asking, why did she die?"

"I was chasing a butterfly," Percy said flatly. When Annabeth didn't reply, he continued. "I have ADHD. I can't concentrate and I get distracted easily. The butterfly was blue. I like blue. I chased the butterfly. My mom got scared that I was lost. My dad got mad at her and me. The end."

By that time, tears were running down his cheeks and his vision was blurry.

Annabeth put an arm around him. "I'm sorry Percy. I'm here for you, okay?"

Percy nodded, and he cried into her hair for three minutes straight until there was a ring on the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Annabeth said, leaving Percy time to wipe his face off and calm down before the pizza came.

They ate in silence. Percy washed his plate, and left the room.

Annabeth walked up the stairs after cleaning up the kitchen. She found Percy sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands.

"You okay?" she asked him, even though there was no point. He nodded anyway, just to keep her happy.

"Goodnight," Annabeth mumbled, and hugged Percy. She silently walked down the stairs and out the door.

Percy watched her leave.

He liked her, he knew that.

But did she like him?


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's note-**

 **Hi!**

 **If you're a fan of _Inside Out_ , please read my _Inside Out_ fic. It's called Depression.**

 **Thanks! And please review!**

 **-SOS**

The next day, Tyson was over at his friend Ella's house.

Annabeth had come over anyway, and she didn't know what to do.

Percy was just waking up, even though it was eleven in the morning.

Poseidon had left for his job before Annabeth, who had her own key to their house, let herself in.

She decided to wait for Percy to wake up, then choose what to do for the rest of the day.

It turned out that Percy was not a morning person.

He took an hour to even get out of bed, and even then, he was still half-asleep.

"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth said exasperatedly. "Get up already!"

"Just a few more minutes..." he mumbled, pulling the pillow over his face. Annabeth snatched it away.

"We have stuff to do, Percy." Annabeth knew that would get him. She also knew that he had a slight crush on her. She wanted to have the advantage, so that she would not be heartbroken if she confessed her love to him and he said no.

When Percy was out of bed, dressed and ready, they walked downstairs.

"I'm hungry," Percy announced. "Feed me."

"What do you think I am, your servant?" Annabeth mumbled, but she took out some ingredients and started to cook pancakes.

When Percy realized she was making pancakes, he jumped up.

"Can we make them blue?" Percy asked, searching through cabinets for blue food coloring.

"I don't think he has any food coloring," Annabeth said, stirring the batter with a spoon.

Percy's face fell.

"It's a good thing I brought my own!" Annabeth exclaimed, and pulled the bottle of blue food coloring out of her bag. Luckily, it hadn't opened up and leaked everywhere. That would have been bad.

After a delicious breakfast of blue(ish) pancakes, the two teenagers started to get bored.

"What do you want to do?" Percy asked, helping Annabeth wash the dishes.

"Well..." Annabeth pretended to think. "How about that movie I promised you?"

Percy's smile was so big it could light up a room. "Okay!"

They finished cleaning up, and walked outside.

"How are we supposed to get there?" Annabeth wondered as they stood in front of the door.

"I got it," Percy said. He knocked on the door of a limousine parked in front of the house.

A man was sitting in the front, doing something on his phone.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked, putting away his phone and starting the car when Percy and Annabeth got in.

"To the Madison Cinemas, please," Annabeth told the driver. She knew the area well.

The rest of the morning was spent watching _Paper Towns._

Then they decided to go out for lunch.

Which was going to be fun, considering the outside world had limited amounts of blue food.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's note**

 **Percy's birthday is in two days! Yay!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter! Keep reviewing!**

 **-SOS**

At the restaurant, Annabeth ordered pizza for the two of them. When it came time for dessert, Percy was exited.

"I'll have the blue cookies, blue cake, and anything else blue," he said.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have those," the waiter replied. "We do have blueberry cheesecake, though."

Percy nodded. "We'll take one slice of that. Thanks!"

"How did you know I don't like cheesecake?" Annabeth asked.

"Your face when he said cheesecake - it was so funny!" Percy laughed.

When the cheesecake came, it looked really good. As Percy dug in, Annabeth watched jealously.

"Can I have a bite?" Annabeth asked finally. "It looks really good."

"Sure." Percy looked around the table for another spoon.

"It's okay, I can just use the same spoon," Annabeth assured him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. We're friends, right?" Annabeth smiled.

Percy felt a sense of déjà vu. Something like this had happened before.

He handed her the spoon, and she took a tiny bite.

"Better than others," she said. "But not my favorite."

When they walked back home, they sat in Percy's room in silence for a while.

Then Annabeth asked a question.

"What's it like to live with depression?"

Percy thought before answering.

"Imagine there's a big weight pressing down on your shoulders that's trying to stop you from doing anything you want, even live. And somehow, you just have keep going, with the weight on your shoulders. That's what it feels like."

Annabeth sighed. She put her arm around Percy.

He mumbled into her shoulder, "You're really helping me. A lot."

"Thanks," Annabeth murmured back. "You're really helping me too."

"What?" Percy sat upright. "What am I helping you with?"

"Getting over my old boyfriend," she whispered. "And falling in love with a new one."

The look in her eyes was too much for Percy. He pulled her face toward him and kissed her.

She kissed him back. They just sat there, kissing, until they heard the door open.

They quickly pulled apart. Annabeth's face was red, and Percy was sure his was even redder.

The two walked downstairs.

"Who's there?" Annabeth shouted, but she didn't have to look very far.

Because there, standing right in front of her was her old boyfriend Luke.

"Luke?" Annabeth asked in terror. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting my revenge on you," he growled.

Annabeth screamed as he grabbed her. It was obvious he didn't see Percy, so Percy prepared for the rescue.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's note!**

 **Okay, this is a rewrite of this chapter, because**

 **1) It was too short**

 **2) It was really undetailed.**

 **Thanks to Iwovepizza and Wisegirl369 for pointing this out.**

 **-SOS**

Percy snuck up until he was next to Luke. Before Luke could react, he punched him in the face.

"Percy!" Annabeth shrieked. Though it was clear she hated Luke, she also apparently didn't like violence either.

Percy ignored her and pushed Luke to the floor. Luke stood up angrily, rage burning in his eyes.

Luke aimed a punch at Percy, who just barely managed to deflect it, getting a bruise on his eye in the process.

That was too much for Annabeth.

"Stop!" she shouted. Both the boys paused.

"Why, Annabeth?" Luke asked. "So you can kiss your new boyfriend?"

Annabeth glared at Luke, and, with Percy's help, shoved Luke out of the house, and closed the door. Then she locked it, and leaned against it to ensure that no one could come in.

"That was really scary," Annabeth panted.

Percy nodded, and they stood there in silence, trying to catch their breath.

When Annabeth and Percy were sure Luke had left, they ran upstairs to see if they could see him through a window. But before they reached the window, there was a muffled scream, and a sickening crunch.

The two worried teens ran back downstairs and opened the door cautiously. Luke wasn't standing there, so they slowly walked outside.

At the bottom of the long driveway, a red car had stopped and a person was getting out of it. Next to the car was Luke's body. It was lying still on the ground.

As they got closer to the scene, they noticed blood spreading on the ground around Luke's head.

Annabeth gasped sharply and took Percy's hand, which she squeezed tightly.

The car driver, who was a man who looked about thirty, and had glasses and a stubbly beard, started to get back in his car.

"Um, no." Annabeth pulled the man back outside. "This is your mess. You fix it."

The man pulled out his phone reluctantly and started dialing a number.

"Hello? There's been an accident at the bottom of Neptune Drive. I...may have killed a boy. Does my insurance cover that?"

When the ambulance came, they took Luke. But not before they asked questions.

His name, age, address, and phone number were all given to the paramedic by Annabeth.

The other man just drove away after talking with them for a bit.

Percy and Annabeth went back inside.

"If he's dead, that's another funeral to plan," Annabeth muttered.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Well, Rachel's parents don't want anything to do with her, so the hospital has to plan her funeral, and I'm part of the committee that's hosting it. And Luke, well, his dad's a wanted criminal and his mom has some mental issues," Annabeth finished.

"You mean like me?" Percy responded, frowning.

"No...she claims to see things, and thinks every boy who walks in is her son." Annabeth grimaced sadly.

"Oh," was all Percy could think to say.

"Yeah," Annabeth replied.

She changed the subject. "So, when do you think Tyson will be back?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, but let's finish what we started before we got interrupted."

"My pleasure," Annabeth whispered, and kissed him again.

He kissed back, and they kissed each other passionately, his hands in her hair and her hands on his back.

When they pulled apart, all Annabeth could say was, "Wow..."

"What?" Percy questioned. "Am I a horrible kisser?"

"No." Annabeth smiled. "You're even better the second time."


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Um, I rewrote chapter 23, because it was really short and undetailed.**

 **If you don't feel like reading it, it was just the same thing, more detailed, and Luke didn't die.**

 **Bonus points for anyone who can guess who the woman was at the end of this chapter!**

 **See you soon,**

 **-SOS**

"You think he died?" Percy asked Annabeth, obviously referring to Luke.

"No, he's too strong for that. I think, when Tyson comes back and goes to sleep, we should go to visit him," Annabeth suggested.

"Do you really think he survived? That crash looked fatal..." Percy trailed off.

"Well, you can always have hope. And anyway, he won't be able to do anything to us in a hospital," Annabeth reasoned.

"You're right," Percy agreed. "Should we take him a gift?"

"Just flowers," Annabeth said. "Let's go pick them."

They walked outside the house, but didn't stop in the magnificent garden that surrounded the mansion.

"Um, Annabeth, where are we going?" Percy asked, looking at the giant gardens that they were walking right by.

"To my house," Annabeth replied. "I don't think we're supposed to pick the flowers here."

Percy nodded, realizing that picking the beautiful flowers that had been precisely arranged by a gardener probably wasn't the best idea.

They walked for only a few minutes before a cute little cottage came into view. At least, it was cute without the giant red letters spray-painted on it.

Annabeth touched the paint, which read, "I'll find you. -Luke." Some of the paint came off on her fingers, and it was wet.

"This must have been done not long ago," Percy said. He looked around for more clues.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Let's just pick the flowers and get out of here."

They picked ten small red flowers that neither of them know the name of, and some pretty white flowers.

"Let's go to the hospital now, because Tyson won't be home for a while," Percy suggested. He mostly just wanted to get it over with.

Annabeth nodded, and they started to walk.

"We can walk to the hospital?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "If you have enough stamina."

"I know I do, but do you?" Percy challenged.

"I definitely do! And I'm going to get there before you." Annabeth started to walk faster.

Percy jogged to keep up with her.

They got there within an hour, which surprised Percy.

"I thought it was going to take a longer time," he said softly.

Annabeth didn't answer. When he looked over at her, she pretended not to be shaking.

"Are you nervous?" Percy asked. Annabeth shook her head, but Percy could see her fingers crossed behind her back.

 _She's lying_ , he thought. But he put his arm around her anyway.

She shrugged out of his embrace.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Percy." Her voice was flat and monotonous.

They reached the front desk without talking. Annabeth asked the woman at the desk for Luke Castellan, and she told them a room number.

When they reached the room, Percy stopped outside. He didn't feel it was his place to enter.

"Nonsense," came a voice from inside. "Come in, Percy. Luke has been telling me all about you."

Percy slowly peeked into the room.

A woman with blond hair that was turning white and cloudy green eyes smiled at him.

He smiled back nervously, Annabeth tensing up beside him.

"I won't bite," the woman said, but Percy couldn't help thinking that maybe she would.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! This is going to be my last update for a while, because I'll be going on a cruise with no WiFi *cries***

 **I'll try to write as much as I can on the trip and post it when I get back.**

 **Keep reviewing, following, and favorite-ing.**

 **-SOS**

Seeing no other option but to run (which would be cowardly and probably wasn't allowed in a hospital) Percy slowly entered the room, Annabeth following him.

Luke was laying still on the bed, machines hooked up to him that monitored everything, from his pulse to his brain activity. His eyes were closed, and he looked almost ghostlike.

"Um, how could Luke be telling you all about me if he's not awake?" Percy asked tentatively.

Annabeth blinked at his stupidity.

"Oh, I _see_ things," the woman said, smiling a crooked smile.

Percy shuddered. If what he was thinking was correct, this was Luke's mom, the crazy woman Annabeth had been telling him about.

"For instance," Luke's mom said, not caring that Percy wasn't really listening. "He told me all about your mom. And how your step-dad used to come home at night with other women but you pretended not to notice."

Percy's eyes stung. He had never told anyone that secret, not even his mom. How on earth did this totally random stranger know it?

"Like I said, I _see_ things..." Luke's mom winked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving."

She cackled as Percy stepped aside so she could get to the door.

"I hope I never see her again," Annabeth muttered.

"I'm going to go wait in the lobby... If you don't mind." Percy's voice was weak and soft.

"Whatever floats your boat," Annabeth replied.

A half an hour later, Annabeth came downstairs, her face wet with tears.

"Something happened to the machines...they're moving him to another unit," Annabeth burst out.

Before Percy knew what was happening, she was crying into his t-shirt.

He helped her walk out of the hospital and down the street to his father's house.

When they got inside and were sitting at the table, drinking lemonade, Percy decided to ask a question.

"Annabeth, why did you kiss me if you obviously still have feelings for Luke?"

Annabeth sighed.

"I kissed you because I love Luke like a brother, Percy. I like you as more than that."

"Oh." Percy said. He thought about it for a minute, then said, " _Oh_."

Laughing, Annabeth kissed him on the cheek. Then she got serious again.

"But seriously, Percy, it's going to take me a while if...If anything happens to Luke. I'm really sorry. I'm just not that great with adjusting to things."

"It's okay," Percy replied. "I'll help you."


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's note-**

 **I'm back! Somehow I survived without Wi-Fi...**

 **Anyway, here is Chapter 26. I hope you like it!**

 **Also, thanks for all the reviews!**

 **-SOS**

The next day was a day Percy had been dreading for a while...Rachel's funeral.

"Do I _have_ to go?" he whined when Annabeth woke him up.

"Yes. The rest of the people from the hospital are going to be there," Annabeth replied, to try to convince him even more.

"Even Nico?" Percy asked, sitting up in his bed.

"Um, I don't know. But if you come, we can see if he's there." Annabeth smiled.

"Fine," Percy agreed grudgingly.

Annabeth met him at the breakfast table, both of them dressed in black.

"Good morning, Percy." She waved at him.

She was wearing a strapless black dress which came up to her knees, and gray ballet flats. She had done a braid headband in her hair and had only the slightest touch of lip gloss on.

All in all, she looked beautiful.

Percy waved back nervously. He was just wearing a black shirt and jeans, and hoping Annabeth didn't tease him for not dressing up. She didn't. Instead, she hugged him.

"I know how hard this is for you," she whispered, squeezing him tightly. "You really liked Rachel, didn't you?"

Percy nodded, letting one tear slip down his cheek and into her hair. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Perce." Annabeth stroked his hair. "But you got to learn to let things go."

Percy shrugged, but then pulled away. "And you have to learn to let Luke go!"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Seriously? I know you're sad about Rachel, but you don't have o take it out on me!"

And with that, she stormed out.

Percy slid down to the floor, his head in his hands. Annabeth was mad at him...

Poseidon walked through the door. "Time to go to the funeral."

...and Percy still had to go to the funeral. Basically the worst day of his life.

He dragged himself down the hall, out the door, and into the awaiting car.

Poseidon and Percy didn't talk at all on the way there. When they finally arrived, Percy jumped out of the car.

Nico was standing there in a black shirt and black skinny jeans, next to a boy that Percy recognized as Will. Instead of his usual bright attire, Will was wearing a black shirt with gray stripes and jeans.

Percy put on a fake smile so that Nico wouldn't worry about him. Then he headed over to Nico and Will.

"Hi, Nico!" Percy waved at him. "Nice to see you guys."

"Hey," Nico said glumly, but was looking down at the ground. When he looked up, he smiled. "It's Percy!"

Percy and Nico high-fived, and caught up on what was going on with each other.

Suddenly, the actual funeral was about to start.

Octavian had been chosen as the only child from the hospital to give the eulogy.

"I only knew Rachel for a very short time," he said. "But she was extra-special to me. We always used to partner together in everything. She..."

Percy tuned him out. He was too busy trying not to cry to listen to Octavian.

Nico was already tearing up, and Percy was on the verge of sobbing.

Then, when he was just about to lose it, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned around and Annabeth was right next to him, her eyes red from crying.

"Hi," she whispered, and hugged him.

Then they both cried together until the funeral was over.

When Percy got home and got ready for bed, he noticed a piece of paper on his pillow. Had opened it up curiously.

 _Dear Percy,_ it read.

 _I am sorry for overreacting when you told me to get over Luke. It's just that I thought you were ready to know that I like him like a brother and you as more. I hope you're not jealous of him, and I hope you'll forgive me._

 _I want you to understand that you mean a lot to me. That's why it's for the best if I stop working for your dad and we can't be so close to each other. That way it won't be so hard to stop myself from liking you._

 _I'll miss you,_

 _Annabeth._


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's note-**

 **Sorry for not updating. I had just finished this chapter when I discovered wasn't working.**

 **Also, this might be my last update before school starts, and after that updates will be even less frequent than now (sorry...)**

 **So, I decided that in your reviews, you can ask me a question (or two) that could relate to this story, any other story, or even me. But if it's too personal (i.e. asking my real name) I might not answer it.**

 **But I'll try to answer them all.** **Don't forget!**

 **-SOS**

When Percy awoke the next morning, he hoped everything that had happened the day before was a dream. But when he rolled over, he could see Annabeth's note laying on his bedside table, looking as intimidating as a ten foot tall giant.

As Percy read the note again, his eyes blurred with tears. What if they never saw each other again?

Poseidon entered his room. "Come on, son! Wake up! It's time for you to meet Tyson's friend Ella!"

Percy sighed and put the note down. He wiped his eyes, walked into the bathroom with a pair of clothes, and changed quickly. Then he walked out.

When he got downstairs, he paused in the kitchen doorway. Tyson sat in his chair, and across from him sat a girl with stringy red hair.

 _That must be Ella,_ Percy thought.

But he couldn't muster up enough energy or happiness to go in. Instead, he slowly climbed the stairs back up into his room.

He didn't cry, or even shed a tear.

But he did think. A lot. And for someone with depression, thinking could be dangerous.

 _Maybe I could try to kill myself again, to see Annabeth in the hospital,_ was the first place his brain went.

 _No way! You are staying alive! There are better ways to find Annabeth than to die_! Percy's logical voice, his voice of reason, exclaimed.

 _Or I could just die... No one would miss me!_

 _Don't die! Everyone loves you!_

 _Except Annabeth..._

 _Don't be so hard on yourself. Annabeth must have told you something about herself that could lead you to her, right?_

Percy jumped up. "That's it!"

He raced over to his computer and searched in Annabeth's address. A picture of her house and directions to her house appeared on the screen.

"Bye Dad, bye Tyson, see you later!" Percy shouted as he made his way out of the house.

He didn't wait for them to answer. Instead, he just ran out the door and down the street.

He finally got to the house he was looking for. The familiar flower garden still brightened up the soil, and the graffiti from Luke had been rubbed off the wall.

Percy hesitantly paused at the doorway. He raised his hand to knock, but something stopped him.

He tried again. This time, he knocked softly.

The door opened, and Dr. Chase from the hospital came out.

"Percy!" she exclaimed as Percy's eyes widened.

He turned to run, but she caught his arm.

"What are you doing here?" they both asked each other at the same time.

"I'm looking for Annabeth," Percy whispered sadly.

"It's my day off," Dr. Chase answered. "But Annabeth's upstairs."

Percy pushed past her and ran up the stairs. A closed door with a sign that read "Go Away," was at the top.

He gently knocked.

"Go away, Aunt Chase," came a muffled voice from inside.

"It's...it's not your aunt," Percy said softly.

And he slowly started to open the door.

 **A/N:**

 **Don't forget those questions!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Only one person asked a question last chapter, so here it is:**

 **Question- When do you think you will update when school starts?  
Answer-Probably at least once (maybe twice) a week, most likely on the weekend.**

 **You can keep sending in questions. Go back to the previous chapter for the details.**

 **Oh! I almost forgot! This chapter might be triggering for some people as it has mentions of self-harm scars in it. Please keep yourself safe and don't read if this affects you in any way.**

 **Please review,**

 **-SOS**

Annabeth was facing away from the door. Empty cartons of ice cream and scrunched-up bags of chips littered the floor near her bed. On the bed, her phone with the owl case was by her feet. At the moment, she was tapping the keys furiously on a laptop by her pillow.

"Annabeth?" Percy asked softly, swallowing hard in nervous anticipation of her answer.

She turned around. "Percy?"

Her face was streaked with tears, and her grey eyes looked red. The bags under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept in a while.

But to Percy, she looked beautiful.

"Um...hi?" was all Percy could think to say.

Annabeth waved shyly at him from the comfort of her bed, while he only stood in the doorway.

They both looked at each other for a full seven seconds, before breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry," Percy whispered.

Annabeth looked at him with a mixture of sadness and happiness, but didn't answer him. Instead, she just blinked.

"I missed you," she said simply, not sounding embarrassed or otherwise emotional in any way.

"What?" he replied, confused. He was expecting her to be mad at him.

"I said, I missed you," Annabeth responded. "As in, it's good to see you."

"Cool," Percy responded, catching her undertone of sadness. "I mean...I missed you too."

"Why did you come find me?" Annabeth asked abruptly. "I mean, I know you missed me, but you could have left me alone."

"You want me to leave you alone?" Percy was shocked.

"No! Definitely not." Annabeth's expression grew warmer. "But I'm just wondering..."

"I couldn't live without you," Percy confessed.

"Why not?" Annabeth wondered. "There are other people in the world."

"I _know_ ," Percy said. "But you're special."

"How so?" Annabeth folded her arms.

"Look." Percy rolled up his sleeves and showed Annabeth his scars. He pointed to his left wrist, and then his right wrist. "This is what happened when you weren't in my life."

Annabeth lifted her hand, then hesitated. "Can I?"

Percy nodded.

She began to run her fingers lightly over his scars, whispering "No, no, no."

Then she kissed his right forearm, making him shiver.

"And this is what it feels like when you are in my life," he murmured.

Annabeth giggled. "I love you too."

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Annabeth's computer pinged.

"Ugh," Annabeth complained. "Stupid computer, ruining our moment."

Percy laughed, hugging Annabeth. But she didn't look as happy.

"What's the matter?" Percy asked, concerned.

Annabeth slammed her computer screen shut, startling Percy.

"Luke's dead," she said flatly.

"What? How?"

"His mom snuck into the hospital at night, and killed him. Then she killed herself." Annabeth looked out the window sadly.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," Percy said tentatively.

"It's okay," Annabeth replied. Before she could say anything else, there was a knock on the door, which had somehow closed when Percy moved out of the doorway.

"Annabeth? Are you okay in there? Is there a boy in your room? Why is the door closed? Annabeth Minerva Chase, open this door _right now_!"

The door opened, and Dr. Chase stood angrily in the doorway.

The scene she saw must have been a shock. Percy and Annabeth were sitting on the bed, Annabeth holding Percy's wrist.

"...Hi, Aunt Chase..." Annabeth smiled innocently.

"Perseus Jackson, get out of my house!" Dr. Chase yelled. "Annabeth, you're too young for this. Go to your room...wait, never mind. But, Percy, get out!"

Percy hugged Annabeth, whispering his phone number into her ear.

Then he ran all the way back home.


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's note-**

 **For this chapter, please, I'm begging you, review! I want a review from everyone who reads this story, whether they like it or not. You can tell me what I'm doing wrong, tell me what I'm doing right, what you want to see more of, what you want to see less of. I promise I will listen to all of you. And, I will give everyone who reviews a shout-out next chapter. I might even go read and review some of your stories, if you have any and I have the time (which I probably will) I will also respond to your review if you have any questions.**

 **Thanks,**

 **-SOS**

As soon as he reached his room, his phone dinged.

 **Percy? Is this the right number?**

Before he could reply, however, it received another message.

 **Because I swear, Percy, if you gave me the wrong number, I'm going to...**

Percy laughed and texted back, **No, it's me. And I take it you're Annabeth?**

Annabeth responded with a smiley face emoticon and a suggestion that they meet in the cafe called Café Indigo, by Percy's house, which Percy immediately agreed to.

A few minutes later, she texted him one last time. **See you then!**

Percy smiled and walked downstairs. But instead of just writing a note and sticking it on the dining table to tell where he was going, he found his father standing in the front doorway, looking in shock at the mess on the floor.

"What's up, Dad?" Percy asked, the smile falling from his face with one look at his father's grim expression.

"Without a babysitter, Tyson and his little friend Ella have destroyed the house! Percy, I'm begging you, wherever you're going, please take them so we can get this place cleaned up. We have guests coming over today." Poor Poseidon looked so overwhelmed that Percy just had to listen to him.

"Okay, Dad," Percy agreed. "Tyson! Ella! Do you guys wanna come to a café with me?"

Two small bundles of clothes and hair barreled into the room, coming to a halt and making themselves recognizable as Tyson and his friend Ella.

Tyson was holding hands with Ella, his blue shirt covered in carpet fur. Ella's green dress was perfectly unrumpled, and she looked adorable.

Before anyone could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Poseidon, being the one closest to it, opened it.

It was Annabeth.

"Hi, Percy. Are you ready to go?"

"Change of plans," Percy mouthed. "We're taking the kids."

Annabeth's eyes widened, but she said, "Okay."

Poseidon didn't say anything to Annabeth, but it was clear he was trying to ignore her. It might have been because she had quit her job, or maybe because she had almost broke his son's heart. Either way, he pretended she wasn't there.

"Bye, Dad!" Percy exclaimed, leading Tyson and Ella out the door, along with Annabeth.

They stood outside the closed door for a few seconds, before Ella said, "Ella's hungry. Ella wants to eat. But Ella don't like cheese. Cheese is bad for Ella."

"Okay, Ella, how about you hold Annabeth's hand while I hold Tyson's hand," Percy suggested. "Then we can get there safely."

"No!" cried Tyson. "I wants to hold Ella's hand, big brother."

"Oooh," Percy mumbled. "Does my little brother like Ella?"

"No!" Tyson answered. "She is pretty," he whispered loudly.

Annabeth was suppressing a smile. "Okay, Tyson can hold Ella's hand, and I'll hold Percy's hand. Is that okay with you, Percy?"

"Great!" Percy said, a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, okay."

Annabeth laughed at him. So did Tyson and Ella.

When they finally got to Café Indigo, they were seated at a table. They ordered some blueberry crêpes, and fresh squeezed lemonade.

Before the food came, Tyson got out of his chair, knelt down in front of Ella, and pulled out a ring pop.

"Ella, I love you more than I love peanut butter. Will you marry me?"

Ella nodded, and Tyson slipped the ring pop onto her finger. She immediately started eating it.

Annabeth turned to her boyfriend. "Hey, Percy?"

"Yeah?" Percy said slowly.

"They're little kids, and they're already married. How about us?"

"One day," He promised. "Just you wait."


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Thank you guys so, so much for all the reviews. Shoutouts to Snowdrop02, chizarak, Guest, bmftas101, Slytherinriptide, TheFallenAce15, theartnerd333, fanficlover13579, giraffesplaycello, and Wisegirl369** **for reviewing Chapter 29.**

 **Also, today is giraffesplaycello's birthday. Please go wish her a very happy day!**

 **Please review and don't forget, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.**

 **-SOS**

The next day, Annabeth had some exciting news.

"My parents got me a plane ticket to Paris for my birthday!"

Percy pretended to smile and congratulate her, but the whole time, he was thinking, _How am I going to survive a week without Annabeth?_

Annabeth noticed his not-so-enthusiastic mood and smiled sympathetically at him. "I wish you could go too, Percy, but I'm sorry."

Percy shrugged. "It's okay. You'll have a good time."

"I have an idea!" Annabeth said happily. "How about you get an Instagram account so we can stay in touch, because my calling/texting doesn't work overseas?"

"Okay!" Percy agreed.

They went into a corner to set it up.

"First, pick a username," Annabeth instructed.

"Um...can't I just use my real name?" Percy asked.

"No!" Annabeth exclaimed. "You have to be creative."

"Okay, then seaweedbrain18," Percy replied.

"I came up with that name!" Annabeth cried indignantly. But she let him input his chosen screen name into the text box.

"Now what?" Percy wondered.

"Now, you post a picture!" Annabeth grabbed his phone and snapped a selfie of the two of them. She quickly edited it, and posted it with the caption, "Just chillin" and a sunglasses emoticon.

"Should I tag you in it?" Percy suggested.

"Sure! And while you're at it, follow me too."

"What's your username?"

"Wisegirl12," Annabeth replied sheepishly, trying to ignore Percy's look. "What? After you gave me the nickname, I really liked it so I used it as my username!"

Percy smiled. He liked it when Annabeth acknowledged him as being able to do something good.

"Well, see you later," Annabeth said, hugging him. "I gotta go pack."

Percy waved good-bye to her and she left.

He missed her already.

Later that day, Poseidon told him they were having guests over for dinner.

"It's an important man who I might collaborated with. He's in charge of Jupiter Airplane Lines a and he wants aquariums in some of his private jets. He's coming over to talk to me, so you and his kids will have to stay out of the way."

Percy nodded. He didn't even ask how old the kids were or what their names were. He didn't care. He just waited in his room until Poseidon told him to get dressed up.

Percy put on a blue button-down shirt, and fancy black pants. Then he walked downstairs.

"Where's Tyson?" he asked, noticing the smaller boy was nowhere to be heard.

"Oh, he's at Ella's house," Poseidon said. "Don't want him messing this up!"

Percy smiled uncomfortably.

Before they could break the awkward silence, the doorbell rang.

Poseidon whispered, "Don't forget to smile." Then he opened the door.

For the first second, Percy was all smiles, as he greeted the tall, sturdy, black haired man who walked through the door. But when the two kids came in behind him, Percy gasped.

The first person that Percy saw was a boy, with blond hair spiked up into a point, and blue eyes. The boy had glasses, but they were on crooked.

The second person that walked through the door was...Thalia?

Percy was very confused. But he tried to smile, and helped Thalia and the boy into the house.

Thalia had noticed him too, and she was rolling her eyes at Percy's gentleman-ness.

When the adults had left the room, Thalia waved shyly at him, which was unlike her.

"Hi, Percy," she mumbled.

"Hi, Thalia," Percy replied, frowning.

"Wait, how do you know my sister?" The blond boy looked at Percy.

"Um, we met at the-" Percy began, but Thalia interrupted him.

"Summer camp. Yeah, that's right. We met at summer camp," Thalia lied. It was clear she didn't want people knowing she had been in a mental hospital.

Percy and the other boy began talking. It turned out the boy was named Jason, and he was Thalia's twin brother, though younger by a few minutes. He was really excited for his father, while Thalia didn't really care.

Percy smiled as Jason rambled on and on.

At this rate, he was going to meet everyone from the hospital before Annabeth got back.

Not that he minded.


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's note-**

 **Hi. It's the weekend! So that means another update, I guess.**

 **Thanks to all the reviewers of my chapter before this one. Special thanks to StarRainZaref (Guest) and Ninja Lordess. You guys made me feel really happy with your reviews. Thanks!**

 **It says "teenagers don't cry" in this chapter, but that's not true. Crying is good for you. You're allowed to cry if you need to.**

 **This chapter is kind of just an example of bad things happening to good people.**

 **Here it is:**

 **Chapter 31**

A few days later, Percy finally checked his Instagram account.

The picture at the top of his feed caused him to do a double take; in the photo, Annabeth was posed in front of the Eiffel Tower, wearing a red beret. She was grinning, and she had her arm around a boy with blonde hair. The caption was "Just hanging with Malcolm!"

Percy frowned. Who was this Malcolm guy? Annabeth hadn't told him anything about any boys named Malcolm. Was he her new boyfriend? If so, then what about Percy?

Throwing his phone onto his bed, Percy lay down next to it. He almost fell asleep, but was awoken when he heard his dad calling his name from downstairs.

Percy jumped up, and walked down the stairs. He saw his dad, looking very exhausted, standing by the door with Tyson holding his hand.

"Your little sister died," Poseidon said softly. "I'm sorry."

Realization dawned on Percy as it hit him. The little sister, who was the last living piece of his mom, had just died. This day was getting worse and worse.

"So, what do you think?" Poseidon was asking him. Percy realized he had just missed part of the conversation. Oops.

"Um..." was Percy's intelligent answer.

"Well, we're going to the hospital to get her paperwork and stuff. You don't have to come, but you can if you want to," Poseidon said, opening the front door.

"Oh, um, I'll come," Percy replied. He was struggling not to shout about how bad his day was going so far.

"Great," Poseidon answered. "Let's go!"

"Is Tyson coming?" Percy asked, looking at the younger boy.

"No. We're dropping him off at a new daycare center. Ella's going to be there too, buddy!" Poseidon exclaimed when Tyson started to tear up.

Tyson immediately smiled. "Yay!"

Percy tried to smile at his little brother, failing miserably. The stress of not being with Annabeth for a few days was destroying him inside. But he was trying to at least pretend to stay strong, just for the sake of his family.

After dropping Tyson off at the daycare center, Poseidon told the driver to shut off the cheerful kid music that had blading through the car moments before. Then he turned to face Percy, a grave look on his face.

"Percy, this kind of thing happens, okay? People die all the time. You're going-" Poseidon was cut off by a very exasperated Percy.

"I _know_ , okay dad? I've been close to people who have died before. I get it, okay?" Percy rolled his eyes. Basically he was just trying to hide the fact that this whole thing reminded him too much of the deaths of Rachel, Luke, and his mom.

When they got to the hospital, Percy angrily wiped his eyes with his sleeves before going inside. He wasn't supposed to be crying. Teenagers _didn't_ cry! But he had to squeeze his eyes shut off a whole ten seconds in the waiting room before he was even a centimeter closer to being okay.

They walked into a small room where a pretty lady with blonde hair smiled at them a little too widely for Percy's taste.

"Hello, I'm Nurse Amphitrite!" the smiling lady introduced herself. "I'm sorry about the baby. Do you want to see her?"

Surprising himself, Percy nodded, breathing deeply. He was scared, but he wanted to see his baby sister.

"Okay," Nurse Amphitrite announced. "She was in an incubator, but somehow the incubator wasn't working so that's how she...passed on."

Percy resisted the urge to tell her to stop staring at his father seductively while trying to explain the death of a child. Frankly, it was just disturbing him.

"Did you want to name her?" Poseidon asked, returning Amphitrite's look, much to Percy's disgust.

"Her name is...was Emily Rachel Jackson," Percy said. Then he ran out of the room and into the car, trying not the burst into tears.

When he got home, there was another post from Annabeth on his phone. It was a picture of her doing a pouty-face and the caption read, "I might not be coming back to the U.S. this summer. I don't know whether I'll be back in time for school. I'm sorry guys. It's just family issues."

Percy, despite having said that teenagers didn't cry, did. He flopped down on his bed and sobbed himself to sleep.

If Annabeth didn't come back, Percy didn't know what he was going to do.


	32. Chapter 32

**This is a really short chapter. Sorry. :(**

 **Anyway, please read and review. I really like hearing what you have to say (even if it's not just praise!)**

 **-SOS**

The next day, Percy woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Despite the fact that birds awakening him was supposed to be a nice, quirky little thing, Percy couldn't help but wish they would shut up. They weren't making his day any better, that was for sure.

Ignoring his dad completely when he came to wake him up, and even covering his ears when his dad told him he was leaving for work, it was obvious Percy was in a bad mood. So when he found himself alone in the house, he couldn't help but let his emotions run wild.

After changing from his pajamas into shorts and a t-shirt, he ate a small breakfast of an apple and milk, then walked into the bathroom.

A razor was lying on the counter. Percy stared at it for a whole twenty seconds before picking it up.

He slowly examined it, running his fingers around the handle but being careful not to touch the blade. After doing that until his heart started to beat faster, he held out his arm.

Heart rate accelerating now, Percy gradually lowered the blade to his wrist. Drawing it across, then moving it up his forearm, he whispered something for each cut he made.

"Annabeth and Malcolm." A fresh new line of blood.

"Emily Rachel Jackson." A second cut.

"Poseidon and that nurse." Wrist dripping with blood by now.

"Annabeth not coming back." He stopped after that one.

Cleaning the razor and putting it away, Percy ran his arm under cold water, trying to stop the energy flowing through him as his blood dried up and new scars appeared on his arm. He walked back to his room and slipped on a light jacket after drying his forearm.

Looking at the date, which was August 31, for guidance, Percy started to write a letter.

 _Dear Emily,_

 _I'm sorry I failed you. You were my little sister and I couldn't even keep you alive._

 _From, Percy._

Crumpling it up into a ball of paper that he threw into the garbage, Percy went back downstairs, noticing a letter addressed to him on the table. He picked it up, reading the return address.

 _Chrome High School_

Percy dropped the letter in shock. He had forgotten that school even existed, with such a crazy summer, and an even crazier life. Opening the letter took all his courage.

 _Dear Perseus Jackson_ , it said.

 _We are excited to inform you that school will be started September third. Here is your schedule and school supply list._

And underneath that was a schedule and supply list.

Percy sighed.

How was he going to go back to school with Annabeth gone?


	33. Chapter 33

**Author' note-**

 **Hi! Just wanted to give a shoutout to the amazing Iwovepizza because she helped me a lot with this chapter, but she didn't beta-read it, so any errors are all my fault. Also, I've started the Butterfly Project (look it up if you don't know what it is) so if you want a butterfly drawn in your name, just review or PM me or whatever. Anyway. Enjoy the chapter. And don't forget to review.**

 **-SOS**

It was September third. Yes, that dreaded day when that horrible thing called school started. Percy was nervous, but not as nervous as he should have been without Annabeth there. He was trying to pretend that Annabeth never existed, and that he would be fine without her.

What Percy didn't know was that he needed someone to be there for him. He couldn't just survive on his own. He thought being on his own was better, well, it wasn't. Especially not for him, as his depression was getting worse. But he didn't know that either. He still thought that it was perfectly fine to cut himself, and not do anything about that.

But he was wrong.

He imagined Annabeth across the world, having fun without him, then told his brain to stop. He was supposed to be _not_ thinking about her, not _thinking_ about her!

After pulling on a green shirt, jeans, a sweatshirt, and the orange socks from the hospital (which he thought Annabeth had given him but didn't want to think about her so he just slipped them on) Percy dashed downstairs. He grabbed a breakfast bar, stuffed it in his mouth, waved to his dad, and ran out the door.

"Percy, wait!" Poseidon called. "I'll give you a ride in the limo."

Percy shook his head. He'd rather blend in on the bus than stand out in a limousine. If was better for him, he thought, to not stick out from the crowd, since he was new and all. So when the bus came, he chose a seat in the middle; not front, where the nerds sat, but not back, where the cool kids sat.

After a few stops, which Percy didn't pay any attention to because he didn't really care about other people except for Annabeth, who he was done thinking about, and his family, who he believed didn't care about him, a girl with dark brown hair and kaleidoscopic eyes sat down next to him.

Percy wanted to ask who she was (because she looked nice, in his opinion) but he was too scared. So, after a few seconds of awkward silence, the girl introduced herself.

"Hey, I'm Piper. What's your name?" the-girl-who-was-named-Piper said, smiling brightly at Percy.

"Oh...um, my name's Percy. Percy Jackson," Percy answered, looking down. Socialization was not included in his plan for the first day of school, so he tried to show Piper that he wasn't interested.

" _You're_ Percy Jackson?" Piper exclaimed. "Jason was telling me all about you when we met up a few days ago." Her voice softened, so that only Percy could hear her. "I'm sorry about you-know-what. I was anorexic in the sixth grade, so I understand what it feels like."

Percy nodded, wondering how a person he just met could be so trusting and nice. He didn't say anything, which must have encouraged Piper to continue, because that was what she did.

"Percy, if you ever need anything, you can always come to me, or my best friend Annabeth. We've been going to this school together for a really long time, and Annabeth is really nice," Piper explained, oblivious to Percy's questioning look when she mentioned Annabeth's name.

"Wait...how do you know Annabeth? I didn't know she went to school...here," Percy responded, surprised that the world could be so small, and that Annabeth had a life. Well, he knew she had a life, but he never thought she actually had _a life_.

"We're friends, Percy. What, do _you_ know her?" Piper looked at Percy, an interested look on her face as she spoke.

"I kind of know Annabeth...We're dating?" Percy said the last part softly, and it came out like a question.

"You are? Are you sure about that?" Piper noticed the insecurity in his voice, and frowned.

"Yeah, we are," Percy said, very sure of himself this time. Noticing the bus had stopped at school, he stood up, glad the conversation was over. But Piper just smiled.

"Good, because she's right there. Go say hi!" Piper laughed, and ran off the bus, leaving Percy alone and confused.

 _What if Annabeth's really here?_ Percy thought, bending down and gathering his belongings. _What if I see her? What if_ she _sees_ me _? What about Malcolm? And how is she here? I thought she was staying in Paris. I hope.._.

With the nervous thoughts racing through his head, Percy straightened up and started to walk off the bus. But something out of the corner of his eye startled him; thinking he saw a familiar flash of blonde hair, he looked out the window...and there was Annabeth.


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's note-**

 **Hi, it's me again. I have news! I recently made a forum, and if you guys want exclusive news about this story, you can go there. The link is on my profile, along with the link to my FictionPress profile, which I also recently created. If you would be so kind as to check out the forum, and if you want, the FictionPress, I would love you forever! I'll give you a shoutout if you comment on the forum, or if you review on one of my FictionPress stories. Thanks so much, and see you next update!**

 **-SOS**

Percy's mind flashed back to the first time he saw Annabeth, her shining blonde hair curling down her face and her grey eyes twinkling happily. He remembered the first time he had ever heard her magical laugh, right after she had given him the panda stuffed animal the he still kept in his closet. Looking at her standing outside the bus, laughing with that same glow in her eye, Percy felt an odd sense of déjà vu.

He slowly walked off the bus, the driver eyeing him in a concerned way as Percy trudged down the steps and out the door. But Percy didn't notice. He was too busy watching Annabeth smile up at that blonde guy who Percy recognized as Malcolm from Paris. Blinking an unscheduled tear away, he made up his mind to walk straight past them, the surprise of seeing Malcolm startling him so much he didn't bother to even think about why Malcolm _from Paris_ was there, and not in Paris.

He couldn't face Annabeth now, if she was going to do this to him. So he bent down, pretending to be tying his shoe, until he thought she had turned away. Then, he straightened up and started to walk briskly past Annabeth, towards the school.

Just as he was about get out of the range of Annabeth's vision, she turned toward him, and (she had been smiling before she saw him) her face dropped abruptly. But, as if it had been just a trick of Percy's mind, as quickly as her face had fell, it became happy again, and she said something quietly to Malcolm before walking straight towards Percy.

"Um..." Percy didn't know what to do. "Hi," he mumbled once Annabeth was in earshot.

"Hey, Percy!" Annabeth wrapped her arms around Percy and hugged him tightly, confusing Percy's life even more. Wasn't there something going on with Malcolm and her? How could she come over and hug him like nothing had changed?

"Hi." Like an idiot, Percy repeated his greeting, but Annabeth didn't notice. She pulled away from him and sighed heavily.

"Come meet my step-brother, Malcolm! He was doing a program overseas in Paris over the summer, but he goes onto our school. He's just one grade above us, so we won't be seeing him much throughout the day," Annabeth explained.

"Wait...Malcolm's your brother?!" Percy exclaimed, his face turning red. "Oh."

"Why, what's the matter?" Annabeth asked, titling her head to the side in an extremely adorable (according to Percy) way.

If Annabeth noticed Percy glance at his sweatshirt-covered wrist, thinking _Oops_ , she didn't show it. Instead, she just grabbed his other arm, and pulled him over to Malcolm was standing. Percy reluctantly followed her, wondering how he could have been so stupid as to think that Malcolm was dating Annabeth. Now that he thought about it, it just seemed so _stupid_. They both had blonde hair, their faces were so similar...Percy cursed himself for not realizing it earlier.

Malcolm greeted Percy, giving no indication that he knew why Annabeth knew Percy, as his smile stayed bright the whole time he was shaking Percy's hand. Relieved, Percy tried his best to match Malcolm's smile, praying he wasn't glaring the whole time.

"Well, I have to go talk to Mrs. Romani to see if we can start an architecture club," Malcolm said after they were all introduced. "Do you want to come with me, Annabeth?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I need to talk to Percy, okay? I'll see you later."

Percy sighed. He watched as Malcolm walked off, Annabeth staring after him also. After a moment of silence, Percy spoke. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh. I was just going to tell you I'm sorry for letting my cousin post that thing about me not coming back on Instagram. We were still deciding about it when she took my phone and did that. I didn't think of deleting it until I was back on the plane, but there was no internet connection, so I couldn't. If you check now, I deleted it. But seriously, I'm sorry." Annabeth lowered her voice so only Percy could hear. "And it's also no reason to cut yourself over."

Percy turned to face her, his eyes widening nervously. "What...how did you...what?"

"I saw it when you shook Malcolm's hand. Don't worry, I don't think anyone else noticed. You know that doing that could get you back into the hospital. And this time, I won't be there." Annabeth put her arm around Percy. "You need to shape up, okay?"

"It wasn't just you," Percy replied. "My unborn little sister died and I guess I just snapped."

"Oh," Annabeth said softly. "I'm sorry."

And before Percy could reply, the school doors opened, and he was pushed inside by a stampede of excited teenagers. Separated from Annabeth, he reluctantly pulled out his schedule and got ready to start another school year.


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! I'm really excited because I just met Wendy Mass, author of a lot of books, and Gail Carson Levine, who also wrote a lot of books, on Saturday. They are so amazing. I still cant believe I was lucky enough to meet them and get some books signed. I also saw a random girl who I'd never seen before, but she was wearing a Camp Jupiter sweatshirt, and I told her I loved her sweatshirt, and she smiled. And I'm also really excited because on Tuesday, I'm going down to the city to see Rick Riordan on tour for Magnus Chase, which comes out that day. I'm so excited I could fly!**

 **Also, shoutout to giraffesplaycello for being one of the best people in the world. She compliments me so much, it's crazy! Please go check her stories out.**

 **Thanks, and see you soon!**

 **-SOS**

 _First stop: homeroom with Mr. Young_ , Percy told himself, dumping his overly large backpack into his locker, and slamming it shut after he had pulled out a small blue string bag which he shoved his pencils, schedule, and school map into. Luckily, his locker was in the middle of the school, so it was easily accessible from any classroom. Making sure he knew his locker combination, Percy headed down the hall and to room 12, where his homeroom was supposed to be.

When he got there, there was no one else there except for a nice-looking man with curly light brown hair and blue eyes, and two other kids who were hanging up posters and stapling things to the bulletin board. The girl was short, about four foot seven, and she had bouncy black hair and dark skin. When she turned around, Percy noticed her brown eyes had specks of gold in them. The boy who was with her looked Chinese, but his face looked like a seven-year-old's. He had black hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, welcome to homeroom," the girl announced. "I'm Hazel, and this here," she gestured to the boy, "is Frank."

The boy waved quietly at Percy, and Percy gave him a thumbs-up back. Hazel and Frank smiled, and went back to hanging things up on the walls and boards. The teacher showed Percy to a seat, and Percy sat down there. He waited as more people filed in, and took their seats. Frank and Hazel soon finished their work, and sat down too.

The teacher introduced himself as Mr. Young, and told everyone that he taught English for ninth and tenth graders. "I might have some of you," he said, looking at a list. "Yes, I do. I have a lot of you!"

Then he welcomed Percy, who stood up and smiled at the class. "Hi, I'm Percy Jackson, and I'm really excited to meet you," he announced, his heart not really in it, but he earned a smile from Mr. Young anyway.

After homeroom was over and the bell had rung, Percy grabbed a notebook from his locker and headed off to Math. He sat down next to Jason, who grinned at him happily. The teacher, Mrs. Mills, just talked about what they were going to learn about all year, which Percy tried to pay attention to. Math had never been his forte, so he figured that if he could at least pay attention on the first day, it was better than what he had done before in his life.

When he was through suffering through English with Mr. Young and Art with Mrs. Romani, Percy looked at his schedule. It was time for lunch. He smiled happily.

Maybe Annabeth would be there too.


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey, everyone! Someone said that there hasn't been enough Percabeth the past few chapters. After looking back at my writing, I do kind of agree. So, if you think I should make like every third or fourth chapter completely Percabeth, then say so. But if you like what I'm doing now, then say that!**

 **Also, who read Magnus Chase? It was really, really, really, really good! And who heard about Uncle Rick's new series, "The Trials of Apollo"?**

 **Anyway, enough about that. Let's get to the story!**

 **-SOS**

Walking into the crowded lunchroom was something Percy completely dreaded. But after cowardly waiting for a full minute outside the cafeteria doorway, he felt so stupid watching everybody else file in through the doors that he finally decided to go in. He winced as he passed through the gray double doors that separated the school from the lunchroom. _What if everyone is staring?_ he wondered nervously. Hopefully he could just slip in unnoticed.

But obviously, what he wanted was not what he got. As soon as he stepped foot in the cafeteria, a pink-haired girl who he didn't recognize from any of his classes popped out from behind a wall. She and a few other girls surrounded him and started to giggle. Percy was confused. Where was Annabeth?

"Hi, I'm Brianna," said the pink-haired girl loudly. It was obvious she though very high of herself, as she looked down at Percy with a sort of power in her eyes. "You can call me Bree! Do you want to sit with us at lunch?"

Percy looked past her into the cafeteria, where he finally saw Annabeth, who was waving to him from a table in the corner. He tried to convey a message with his eyes: _Come rescue me!_ Annabeth rolled her eyes at him, but stood up anyway. As she crossed the room, Percy was pulled back to reality by Brianna coming closer to him.

"I asked," she whispered softly, "if you wanted to sit with us?"

Percy flinched at the harshness of Brianna's tone. He didn't know what to reply, and was relieved when a hand grabbed his and squeezed it reassuringly. He looked over at the body connected to the hand entwined in his. Annabeth stood next to him, her grey eyes flashing and her teeth clenched.

"He's mine, Brianna," Annabeth said, pulling Percy away. "And there's nothing you can do about it."

Brianna glared at Annabeth, and sighed quietly, exasperated. "I was just having a little fun," she whined. And then she grinned evilly. "And now I'm going to have even more." She raised her voice even louder so that the whole cafeteria could hear her. "Guess what? Nerd Girl is dating New Kid!"

Every face in the room shut their mouths and turned to look at Percy and Annabeth. Percy took a deep breath and hoped that this wouldn't ruin his whole life at the new school. But he had nothing to worry about, because, while everyone was still quiet, Malcolm started to clap loudly from the corner. That, of course, made other people start to applaud also. Brianna's face turned beet red in anger as Percy pulled Annabeth closer to him and pressed a kiss to her forehead lightly. The clapping grew louder, and there were even a few whistles and cheers.

While Brianna was busy being irritated, Percy and Annabeth snuck away to their lunch table in the corner. When they arrived, Malcolm grinned at them. "Hey, Nerd Girl," he said to Annabeth, but instead of teasing her, he said it affectionately. Then Malcolm looked at Percy, and in the same tone, he said, "What's up, New Kid?"

Percy laughed, all his built-up anxiety about lunch in the new school gone. He had friends and allies, and best of all, he had Annabeth there for him. As they ate lunch, every time Percy caught Annabeth's eye, they both winked at each other.

And Percy knew, that in the end, everything was going to be okay, as long as he had Annabeth by his side.


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Note-**

 **Um, hey guys. Here's chapter 37. I hope it's okay. :)**

 **Please review! Also, I wrote a Magnus Chase fanfiction. If you've read the book, then you should read it.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has read, favorite, followed, and reviewed so far. You guys are the best!**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Bye,**

 **-SOS**

Of course, Percy knew he wasn't going to get away _that_ easily. Brianna and her minions ruled the school, and everyone knew it. If she was dissed, she'd get back at the person who did it, and she'd get back at them _bad_. But Percy wasn't worried. He had Annabeth, and that was enough for him.

So, before school ended, Percy left a note in Annabeth's locker. It said, _Dear Wise Girl, Do you want to come over after school? Signed, Seaweed Brain._ He hoped the use of their special nicknames for each other would positively influence her to go to his house. And sure enough, before the end of the day, a note had been slipped into his locker saying simply, _Yes_.

After every class was over and Percy was tired of school, he waited by Annabeth's locker while she packed up her belongings. Apparently, homework was a priority, Percy figured out as he watched Annabeth shove textbook after textbook into her red backpack. Out loud, he said teasingly, "You get homework on the first day of school, Wise Girl?"

"Shut up," Annabeth muttered as she slammed her locker shut and lightly punched Percy on his shoulder. "It's extremely important extra credit. I could get a perfect score before school is even over!"

"Like you need that," Percy retorted, rolling his eyes playfully. "You've probably already charmed half your teachers into giving you extra work. I feel bad for the rest of your kids in the honors classes with you. They're going to hate you if you keep being like this."

Annabeth smiled, and snuck the arm that wasn't holding her extremely heavy bag around Percy's waist. He kissed the top of her head as she joked, "As long as I'm on a path to a good college, I'm fine with that!"

The two of them smiled, and raced off to catch their bus to Percy's house. Once they were seated on the bus, Percy looked at Annabeth – her golden hair that glimmered in the sunlight, her grey eyes full of love (at the moment) – and smiled. For the first time in a long time, Percy Jackson was happy.

But all that was about to change when he stepped through the door of his house, holding Annabeth's hand and grinning. What he saw made him want to throw up, or die, or both. He took a deep breath in as Annabeth noticed his smile drop at the scene on the couch.

Poseidon, yes, Percy's _father,_ Poseidon, was laying on the couch, fast asleep and wearing nothing but a content smile. But that wasn't even the worst part. Draped on top of his sleeping figure was the stupid lady Amphitrite, the woman Percy completely blamed for his sister Emily's death. She wasn't wearing anything either, and her eyes were closed also.

Without batting an eye at the two naked adults on the couch or Percy's disgusted and betrayed expression, Annabeth whispered, "Let's go up to your room and talk. It'll be okay."

When they were safely sitting on the chairs in Percy's room, with the door closed behind them and Percy's face less white, Annabeth reached over and hugged her boyfriend. "Percy, come on. Talk to me. I know that was really awkward, but you can talk to me about it. It'll be okay," she repeated.

Percy sighed. "He's my father! And she's the nurse who killed my sister. What's there to talk about?"

"Fine," Annabeth murmured calmly. "Don't talk, then. Just relax."

Percy rubbed his eyes, and breathed in deeply. "Look, I'm sorry you had to see that. But please, could we just forget about it? I love you, Annabeth. I'm sorry."

Annabeth drew him into a kiss, and he forgot about everything else in the world. For a moment, all there was in the universe was the two of them, together forever.

And if they ended up like Amphitrite and Poseidon, sleeping on top of each other and smiling contently, well, who was there to know?


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's note-**

 **Hi. So...the last chapter ended kind of awkwardly. And now I have to write this one- the dreaded "waking up" scene. How's it going to go? I don't know, but I'm going to try my hardest to make it okay. Oh yeah, and there's a bit of cursing (like one word) in this chapter. I tried to bleep it out, but yeah. It's there.**

 **And I'm doing NaNoWriMo (the YWP) in November, so updates will probably be even less frequently than they are now. Sorry!**

 **Good luck to me...**

 **-SOS**

The first thing Percy thought when he woke up with his girlfriend (who was wearing her underwear, _only_ her underwear, and that was it) laying on top of him was, _Oh s***. What on Earth have I gotten myself into?_ He slowly slid out from under Annabeth, being careful not to wake her up. When he was finally standing up, he grabbed his shirt from the floor, and threw it on, along with a pair of jeans that he grabbed from his bed. Then he sat down at his desk and waited for Annabeth to wake up.

After sitting there for two minutes, Percy couldn't stand to see her laying there half-naked and probably getting cold. So he picked up his blanket and draped it over her, kissing her forehead as he did so. But at this motion, she must have took it as a wake-up call (literally) because she stretched and rolled over, though her eyes were still closed.

Percy looked adoringly at his girlfriend. He wanted to say that they had been through so much together, but in reality, they had each been through a lot separately, and supported each other through it all. Percy's trip through the mental hospital, the death of Annabeth's ex-boyfriend, Luke. But they never been through something bad that deeply affected both of them _together_. So was it wrong for Percy to have a little hope that something that they could go through together would happen?

But he knew it was a little bad to hoping about something like that, so he changed his train of thought completely. For some non-apparent reason, he decided to think about homework. He knew he had some Math and English homework (something to do with getting course outlines signed by a parent or guardian) but he didn't want to do that just yet. Plus, there was still a chance that his father was asleep...and that wasn't something he wanted to see again.

He sighed. What bothered him so much about his father and Amphitrite was not the fact that they had slept together, (though that did irritate him a little bit) but it was really the fact that Poseidon had replaced his old wife so fast. Percy did realize that they (Sally and Poseidon) hadn't been together very long. He knew their time hadn't been very special, especially since the only thing that came out of it was Percy himself. But something inside his mind just couldn't process or accept the fact that Poseidon had moved on. After all, who could move on from Sally Jackson? She was the perfect package: beautiful, understanding, and smart.

Percy was jolted from reminiscing about his mother when Annabeth rolled over and sat up. She blushed immediately when she noticed Percy watching her from his desk chair. "Hi," Annabeth said quietly, pulling on her jeans and top awkwardly. She shivered, and Percy got up and threw her a jacket. He smiled when she put it on; it was one of his favorite jackets and she was one of his favorite people. So it made sense that he would like it on her.

"Hey," replied Percy. He was about to say that they should escape out the window, but then he realized something. "What about Tyson? He's at daycare. We should pick him up."

"Okay," replied Annabeth, and they were ready to climb out the window.


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's note-**

 **Hi, guys. Sad to say this story is almost over; one more chapter and it's done :( Anyway, shoutout to some people who have helped me so much throughout the whole story. Thanks so much to theartnerd333, Iwovepizza, and giraffesplaycello, who just came out with a new story called Beauty Hurts, which you should read! Look at the other author's note for more information on my next story!**

 **-SOS**

When they got back home, Tyson had a "date" with Ella, so he didn't even step foot inside the house, which was probably good, since Percy didn't know whether Poseidon and Amphitrite had cleared out of the living room yet, or if they were still asleep. Once Ella's babysitter had picked Tyson up, Annabeth asked Percy if he wanted to come to her house.

"Sure," was Percy's response. "But doesn't your aunt hate me now?"

Annabeth laughed, a beautiful noise that echoed through Percy's mind like the sound of Christmas bells. She answered, "She won't be home yet, not for a while now, actually. She's working a double shift at the hospital." Noticing Percy tense up when she said that, she squeezed his hand. "Let's just go to my place. There's nothing to worry about there."

After they were settled in Annabeth's room, Percy looked at Annabeth. "Thank you for being with me through all of this. I really appreciate your friendship...and everything else."

"No problem," Annabeth replied, but she looked worried. "I would do anything for you, Percy, but right now you sound like you're saying your last words. 'Thank you for being with me,' and all that…"

Percy shook his head. "No, Annabeth." He looked around the room until his eyes settled on a guitar. "Here, I'll prove it to you." He got up and grabbed the guitar. "Play me something."

Annabeth looked confused by his request, but started to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Percy began to sing along.

"Once upon a time ago, my brain was less than perfect-o. I wanted to kill myself, I thought I had no one else. Once upon a time ago, I was living all alone. Now I have you here with me, we are actually happy. Once upon a time ago, my life was kind of stupid-o." He finished, his face was slowly turning red.

Reaching over to hug him after she put her guitar down, Annabeth smiled. "Thank you, Percy. That means a lot to me."

His face turning redder, Percy hugged her back. "Thanks, Annabeth. I love you."

"I love you too," Annabeth replied, and then they were kissing. His hands were in her hair, while hers were around his waist. "But let's not end up like before, okay?"

Percy shook his head. "Definitely not. That was really awkward…" he trailed off, not wanting to say that it had been one of the best moments of his life as well.

Laughing, Annabeth grinned at him. "You know, you should really sing more often." She dropped her voice down to a whisper long enough to say, "It was really hot."

Looking shocked but quickly trying to mask his surprise, Percy coughed. "Um...okay?"

Annabeth smiled. "Let's just say there's a talent show coming up, and you're entering. And if you're too scared, well, too bad. You're amazing."

Blushing again, Percy looked down. "Fine," he said, slowly smiling. "But if I lose, you're buying me an ice cream."

"You're not going to lose," Annabeth said, frowning at him. "And you know why? It's because I have faith in you, Seaweed Brain."

Percy smiled at the old nickname. "Love you too, Wise Girl. And fine. I'll do it. But only if you stand by me."

 **Author's note 2-**

 **Hi. So, you have a choice between two stories that I can write next:  
** **1\. "We Keep Our Secrets to Ourselves"- Percabeth (I've written the first chapter, but I have a lot of inspiration for it)** **2\. "Roommates"- Solangelo (I've written half the story already but I don't have much inspiration for this one)**

 **Please review and say which one you want to be written after I finish this one...**

 **-SOS**


	40. Epilogue

**So, hi. It's me. I'm really sad to say that this is the last chapter of this story, and there is definitely not going to be a sequel. (Sorry, but I think I've done enough to these characters in this universe.) But I have posted a new story, called, "We Keep Our Secrets to Ourselves." It is Percabeth, and it was the most voted option from the last chapter. Please go check it out. I really hope you like it, and it will be updated soon!**

 **That being said, I'm really thankful to my 119 followers, who all supported me; even if you didn't review, I'm still grateful. But I hope you will review, maybe, on this last chapter, telling me what you felt about this story.**

 **Bye (but not forever)**

 **-SOS**

 **Epilogue:**

One year after Percy decided to sing in the talent show (a song by John Legend– _All of Me_ ) he started to do covers of well known songs on YouTube. With his great voice, and amazing hair, and mesmerizing eyes, it was no surprise he got famous in a few months. And before long, he was being asked to give awards to the really famous people.

Before he knew it, he was asked to get an award himself, from the Mental Health Association of America. After sitting down with Annabeth, the woman who was now his wife after seven years of being together as a couple, for a few hours, they had written Percy's speech together.

So, Percy stood in front of a large audience, his fingers tapping nervously on the podium as he waited for his turn to speak.

A man walked up to him with a large gold medal. It was fake, obviously, but it was the thought that counted. "Thank you, Perseus Jackson, for showing us what a single person could go through and still be alive and well," the man said, and everyone clapped. Percy accepted the medal from the man, who in turn asked, "Would you like to say a few words?"

Trying to smile, Percy opened his mouth and began to speak. "When I was sixteen, I lost my mother. I almost lost my life, too. But I found my father, and discovered the best thing of all–love. My girlfriend Annabeth and I got married at the young age of twenty-two, and together we made the happiest family along with our new baby, Violetta. I still remember every little bad thing that happened, but I also remember the good things." He stopped to take a breath and wipe the tears now falling down his cheeks. "Now, I have found true happiness. I believe that true happiness is accepting ourselves for who we are and learning to live with our burdens. I have found true happiness–" he pointed at the blonde-haired woman standing near a stroller occupied by three-year old Violetta in the front row of the audience. "–and this is what it feels like."

 **Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review telling what you thought!**


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